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Biomedical subjects

M Pla

Publications and source records attributed to M Pla.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Alternative T cell receptor gene usage induced by self tolerance.

Ab-restricted, H-Y-specific T cell clones from C57BL/6 mice were found to use predominantly V beta 6 T cell receptor genes, conferring Mls-1a reactivity. However, the expression of Mls-1a as a self antigen in (DBA/2 x C57BL/6)F1 mice did not turn these mice into nonresponders to H-Y. Instead of V beta 6, they used other T cell receptor genes in this response. Thus, self tolerance appears to bias the repertoire of T cell receptor genes used in response to foreign antigens, without necessarily impairing the immune responsiveness to these antigens.

Animals

Differential regulation of ABA-induced 23-25 kDa proteins in embryo and vegetative tissues of the viviparous mutants of maize.

Previous studies have identified a set of highly phosphorylated proteins of 23-25 kDa accumulated during normal embryogenesis of Zea mays L. and which disappear in early germination. They can be induced precociously in embryos by abscisic acid (ABA) treatment. Here the synthesis and accumulation of this group of proteins and their corresponding mRNAs were examined in ABA-deficient viviparous embryos at different developmental stages whether treated or not with ABA, and in water-stressed leaves of both wild-type and viviparous mutants. During embryogenesis and precocious germination of viviparous embryos the pattern of expression of the 23-25 kDa proteins and mRNAs closely resembles that found in non-mutant embryo development. They are also induced in young viviparous embryos by ABA treatment. In contrast, leaves of ABA-deficient mutants fail to accumulate mRNA in water stress, yet do respond to applied ABA. In water-stressed leaves of wild type plants the mRNAs are induced and translated into 4 proteins with a molecular weight and isoelectric point identical to those found in embryos. These results indicate that the 23-25 kDa protein set is a new member of the recently described class of proteins involved in generalized plant ABA responses. The different pattern of expression for the ABA-regulated 23-25 kDa proteins and mRNAs found in embryo and in vegetative tissues of viviparous mutants is discussed.

Abscisic Acid

Evaluation of lung dose correction methods for photon irradiations of thorax phantoms.

Radiation absorbed dose in lung is measured and calculated using several algorithms available on commercial treatment planning systems. Phantoms resembling the human thorax are used and irradiated with small and large photon beams of 60Co, 4, 6, and 10 MV X ray energies. The applicability and usefulness of the different calculation methods in clinical situations is discussed.

Lung

Radiosurgery with high energy photon beams: a comparison among techniques.

The presently known radiosurgical techniques with high energy photon beams are based either on the commercially available Gamma unit utilizing 201 stationary cobalt beams or on isocentric linear accelerators. The techniques using linear accelerators are divided into the single plane rotation, the multiple non-coplanar arcs, and the dynamic rotation. A brief description of these techniques is given, and their physical characteristics, such as precision of dose delivery, dose fall-off outside the target volume, and isodose distributions are discussed. It is shown that the multiple non-coplanar arcs technique and the dynamic rotation give dose distributions similar to those of the Gamma unit, which makes these two linear accelerator based techniques attractive alternatives to radiosurgery with the Gamma unit.

Brain Diseases

Alignment modification for pencil eye shields.

Accurate alignment of pencil beam eye shields to protect the lens of the eye may be made easier by means of a simple modification of existing apparatus. This involves drilling a small hole through the centre of the shield to isolate the rayline directed to the lens and fabricating a suitable plug for this hole.

Eye

Specificity of anti-H-2 class I antibodies induced by syngeneic immunization with Sendai virus-treated cells is regulated by the mouse MHC and viral antigens. No evidence for MHC-restricted virus-specific antibodies.

In a previous study, we searched for Sendai virus (SV)-specific antibodies that were restricted in their binding by self-major histocompatability complex (MHC) antigens. In C57BL/6 (B6; H-2b) mice, most of the sera obtained after i.p. injections with syngeneic SV-coated (SV+) spleen cells contained auto- and alloreactive lymphocytotoxic antibodies directed against H-2 class I molecules, but no viral-specific, MHC-restricted antibodies. Here we report that syngeneic immunization with SV+ cells regularly induced H-2-specific antibodies in various mouse strains. From a total of 12 strains tested, only the B10.S (H-2s) strain appeared to be a low responder. The immune responses are of two types: (i) mice of some strains produce autoreactive antibodies and a broad variety of alloreactive antibodies; and (ii) mice of some strains produce only narrow or widely alloreactive antibodies. Because most of the strains differ only in the H-2 region, the patterns observed are regulated by the MHC. To locate the genes involved in the induction of H-2-specific antibodies more precisely, two B6 mutant strains, bm1 (Kb mutant) and bm13 (Db mutant), were immunized with syngeneic SV+ cells. The results suggest that the H-2Db region plays an important role in the induction and specificity of the lymphocytotoxic H-2 class I-specific antibodies present in sera of H-2b mice after syngeneic immunization with SV+ cells. The role of SV in the induction of H-2-specific antibodies was studied in B6 mice after injections of syngeneic cells coated with liposomes bearing the F and HN proteins of SV. The results suggest that SV surface glycoproteins as well as internal proteins are directly involved in regulating the specificity of anti-H-2 antibodies present in sera after syngeneic immunization with SV+ cells. This study does not support the concept that antigen-specific, MHC-restricted antibodies are a part of the B-cell repertoire.

Alleles

Dynamic stereotactic radiosurgery.

Two radiosurgical procedures using a stereotactic frame and a linear accelerator X ray beam with a circular field diameter between 0.5 and 3 cm are presented. One technique is based on a single plane rotation (single plane radiosurgery) whereas the other uses simultaneous and continuous motions of both the gantry (approximately 360 degrees) and couch (approximately 180 degrees) during the radiosurgical procedure (dynamic radiosurgery). The dose, typically a few thousand cGy, is prescribed to the 90% isodose line which just covers the target volume. The dose fall-off outside the spherical target volume is considerably sharper for the dynamic rotation than for the single plane rotation, and is comparable to the dose fall-off obtained with the two presently known dedicated radiosurgical techniques: one based on focused cobalt beams and the other on proton beams. The dose fall-off in the dynamic radiosurgery discussed here is also comparable to that of previously described linear accelerator based multiple converging are techniques, making the dynamic radiosurgery an attractive alternative to presently known radiosurgical procedures. The radiation beam parameters are discussed and the stereotactic frame described. The dose distributions for both radiosurgical techniques are calculated in a single plane and then corrected for the attenuation effects in the stereotactic frame (approximately 2%) and for the effects of the dynamic rotation (approximately 2%). The skin doses are 0.7% and 2%, and the lens doses, if the beam passes through the eyes, are 2.5% and 3.5% for the dynamic rotation and single plane rotation, respectively. The scatter and leakage dose for the radiosurgical procedures is typically 0.2% to the patient's thyroid, 0.06% to the breast, and 0.02% to the gonads.

Brain Diseases

Immune response to H-2 class I antigens on platelets. I. Immunogenicity of platelet class I antigens.

Purified allogeneic murine platelet suspensions were found unable to induce primary anti-H-2 class I antibody or T cell proliferative responses. In contrast, the same platelet suspensions could elicit secondary anti-class I responses. The secondary responses were not due to contaminating leucocytes. Possible explanations, the lack of acolyte determinants (class II or non- H-2) on platelets or inappropriate layout and/or structure of their class I antigens, are discussed. These findings emphasize the importance of sufficient leucocyte depletion before platelet transfusion in the human.

Animals

Immune response to H-2 class I antigens on platelets. II. Specific decrease of H-2 class I-specific antibody response induced by treatment with allogeneic platelets.

Mice pretreated with injections of allogeneic platelets were found to mount a decreased antibody response upon challenge by lymphocytes of the same donor strain. This decrease was mediated by platelets themselves, and not by leucocytes and red cells contaminating the platelet suspension. It affected specifically antibodies reactive with H-2 class I antigens present on donor platelets. This phenomenon may be related to the lack of class II or some non-H-2 antigens on platelets, and/or to properties of their class I antigens (soluble molecules adsorbed from the plasma). These findings emphasize the potential usefulness of purified platelet transfusions preceding organ transplantation in man.

Animals

Role of H-2 and non-H-2 genes in control of bacterial clearance from the spleen in Salmonella typhimurium-infected mice.

The ability of mice to clear Salmonella typhimurium from their spleens in the late phase of infection was studied after inoculation with a temperature-sensitive mutant. Clearance of bacteria was delayed in C57BL/6 mice compared with BALB/c, C3H/HeJ, DBA/2, A/J, and CBA mice. The responses of F1 hybrids, backcrosses, and recombinant inbred strains derived from C57BL/6 and BALB/c (both Itys) and of H-2 congenic mice were analyzed. The results showed that the low rate of bacterial clearance was recessive, that the rate of clearance was under polygenic control, and that an H-2-linked gene(s) plays a major role. Among H-2 congenic mice with a C57BL/10 background, three phenotypes of bacterial clearance could be distinguished: high (H-2j, H-2q, and H-2u), intermediate (H-2d, H-2f, H-2k, H-2p, H-2r, H-2s, and H-2v), and low (H-2b) rates. The effect of the H-2 complex was apparent with different genetic backgrounds (Itys and Ityr). In recombinant inbred strains derived from C57BL/6 (Itys) and A/J (Ityr) mice, the effect of the H-2b haplotype on bacterial clearance appeared to be fully expressed only in strains carrying the Itys allele.

Alleles

Induction of H-2-specific antibodies by injections of syngeneic Sendai virus-coated cells.

The capacity of the B cell immunoglobulin receptor to recognize complexes of Sendai viral and H-2b antigens was investigated by studying the antibody response to injections of syngeneic Sendai virus-coated (SV+) spleen cells in C57BL/6 (B6) mice. Almost all mice produced alloreactive anti-H2 lymphocytotoxic antibodies. In contrast, such antibodies were found very exceptionally in mice injected with normal (SV-) cells or with Sendai virus (SV) only. The reaction pattern of the cytotoxic antibodies induced was variable and ranged from almost anti-private to widely cross-reactive serotypes. The results of reactions on H-2-congenic, -recombinant and -mutant mouse strains, and of capping and immunoprecipitation experiments showed that the cytotoxic antibodies were directed against H-2 class I molecules. The anti-H-2 antibodies exhibited enhanced binding for SV+ target cells, but absorption experiments showed that this was not the result of cross-reactions with cell surface Sendai viral determinants or with a molecular complex of H-2 plus SV. This conclusion was supported by the observation that syngeneic SV+ cells were not the predominant targets for the induced lymphocytotoxic antibodies. Our results do not support the existence of MHC-restricted antiviral antibodies, but show the induction of anti-class I H-2 alloantibodies by injections with syngeneic SV-coated cells. We present a model for regular induction of anti-H-2 antibodies without intentional alloimmunization.

Animals