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O Zinder

Publications and source records attributed to O Zinder.

97 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

Response of the spleen of Balb/c and p53-transgenic mice to low doses of carcinogen and to polyclonal antibodies generated against the soluble 53 kDa protein.

BACKGROUND: We have previously reported that p53-transgenic mice are highly sensitive to low doses of a carcinogen and to vaccination with soluble 53 kDa antibodies, compared to normal mice. The splenic manifestation of this strain dependent hypersensitivity was investigated immunohistochemically and morphometrically. METHODS: The spleen was obtained from Balb/c and human p53 promoter-CAT transgenic mice. Mice had either been treated with the carcinogen dimethylhydrazine (DMH), vaccinated before DMH treatment with polyclonal IgG generated against the soluble 53 kDa protein, or left untreated. RESULTS: Significant differences in the splenic structures were found between the strains compared, including the area occupied by the white and red pulps, the periarterial lymphoid sheath (PALS) and the marginal zone, and in the number of lymphoblasts and lymphocytes. Exposure to DMH stimulated the immune response, but in transgenic mice the number of B and T lymphocytes and especially helper T lymphocytes was significantly lower than in Balb/c mice. Vaccination followed by DMH injections did not improve the insufficiency of the immune response in transgenic mice. In transgenic mice, the number of B lymphocytes in follicles was almost half and the total number of cells in PALS and the number of T lymphocytes were only 71% and 60% respectively in BALB/c mice. In the marginal zone, macrophages proliferated as lymphocytes decreased. CONCLUSIONS: Insufficiency of the immune system after exposure to a carcinogen is more pronounced in transgenic mice, and is mainly related to the B-cell system. It may stem from defects in B lymphocytes or from inherent differences in their maturation and regulation. The increase in the number of macrophages, dendritic cells and neutrophils illustrates the compensatory processes that can remedy this developing immune insufficiency.

1,2-Dimethylhydrazine↗

Comparative reliability of D-xylose absorption and serum beta-carotene measurements in small intestinal disease.

Comparative reliability of D-xylose absorption and serum beta-carotene measurements was studied in 63 healthy and sick children suspected of having proximal small intestinal disease. Group 1 included children with newly diagnosed celiac disease (CD) who were on a normal diet (xylose, n = 46; carotene, n = 43); group 2 included children with CD in remission (xylose, n = 17; carotene, n = 15); group 3 included children with CD in remission, but who were exposed to a gluten-containing diet for an average of 1.4 years (xylose, n = 19; carotene, n = 17); and group 4 included 17 healthy children, insofar as this study is concerned, in whom serum carotene was examined. The means of serum xylose of groups 1 and 3 were significantly lower than the mean of group 2 (p less than 0.001 in both cases). D-Xylose had a sensitivity of 76.9% and a specificity of 100%. The mean serum carotene concentration for group 2 patients with CD in remission was equal to the mean of group 4, which included healthy children. The means of groups 1 and 3 were significantly lower than the means of groups 2 and 4 (p less than 0.001 in all cases). Serum beta-carotene had a sensitivity of 95% and a specificity of 87.5%. The use of these two serum tests in combination would give a specificity of 100% and a sensitivity of 94.1%.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗

Role of apoptosis, proliferating cell nuclear antigen and p53 protein in the immune response of rat colon cells to cancer and vaccination with anti-p53 polyclonal antibodies.

BACKGROUND: Previously it was shown that rabbit anti-p53 antibodies can exert tumor-suppressive effects on chemically induced rat colon cancer (Cancer J, 10:116-120, 1997). This work examines the role of some components of the immune system in the response of the rat colon cells to treatment with a carcinogen and anti-p53 antibodies. METHODS: The following groups of rats were studied: a) control non treated rats; b) tumor-free non vaccinated rats treated with a carcinogen; c) tumor-bearing non vaccinated rats; d) tumor-free vaccinated rats exposed to a carcinogen; e) tumor-bearing vaccinated rats. The manifestation of apoptosis, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), mitotic index, T lymphocytes and p53 protein was compared between the different groups of rats. RESULTS: The apoptotic index and the number of p53-positive cells and T lymphocytes were significantly higher in colon adenocarcinomas obtained from vaccinated rats than in unvaccinated rats. PCNA was lower in tumors from the vaccinated rats, whereas the proliferating cell index was not different between the both groups of rats. An inverse relationship was seen between apoptosis and most other parameters studied. The inverse correlation found between apoptosis and p53 protein in this study demonstrated that apoptosis acts as a p53-independent parameter in chemically induced rat colon cancer. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrated that vaccination significantly activated apoptosis in both types of colon tissue, and induced synthesis of p53 protein in tumor tissue. Vaccination with anti-p53 polyclonal antibodies seemed to activate the immune system and to stimulate some of its cellular components responsible for tumor suppression.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Immune response of rat spleen cells to a carcinogen and to vaccination with anti-p53 polyclonal antibodies.

BACKGROUND: The tumor-suppressive effects of rabbit anti-p53 antibodies on chemically induced rat colon cancer were demonstrated previously (Cancer J, 10:116-120, 1997). METHODS: In this communication, the spleen's role in the immune response of rats to cancer and vaccination was evaluated histologically and immunohistochemically. The following groups of rats were studied: a) control non treated rats; b) tumor-free non vaccinated rats treated with a carcinogen; c) tumor-bearing non vaccinated rats; d) tumor-free vaccinated rats exposed to a carcinogen; e) tumor-bearing vaccinated rats. RESULTS: Exposure to a carcinogen (group 2) caused the appearance of the proliferative and apoptotic changes associated with immune response. They included abundant blast transformation of CD20-positive B lymphocytes, expansion of germinal centers and of periarterial sheaths (CD3-positive T cells), an increase in the number of plasma cells, mitotic and apoptotic cells in the follicles, and in CD25 IL2-depending T cells. The presence of colon tumors (group 3) caused insufficiency of the splenic lymphoid system: blast transformation was weaker, the white pulp area decreased and its devastation was reflected in fewer lymphoid cells. There were less plasma cells in the red pulp, while the number of dendritic cells, CD25+ T cells, macrophages and neutrophils increased sharply, suggesting a compensatory reaction to the severe antigenic effects. Similar, but stronger changes, occurred in tumor-free vaccinated rats (group 4). In tumor-bearing vaccinated rats (group 5), the rate of proliferation change was higher than in group 3, probably as a result of a weaker splenic insufficiency. A strong correlation was found between the number of mitotic, apoptotic or dendritic cells, tumorigenesis and vaccination. CONCLUSIONS: A sharp increase in the number of dendritic cells in vaccinated tumor-bearing rats suggests that these cells participate in the host's reaction to tumorigenesis. We conclude that vaccination with anti-p53 polyclonal antibodies activates lymph components of the spleen.

Animals↗

Effects of dietary fiber on the rat intestinal mucosa exposed to low doses of a carcinogen.

BACKGROUND: Changes in morphological and immunohistochemical parameters were studied in the rat intestinal mucosa exposed to low doses of a carcinogen and administered with dietary fibers. METHODS: Tumors were induced by five subcutaneous injections of 1,2-dimethylhydrazine, 10 mg/kg rat, once a week. Rats were fed a semi-synthetic fiber-free diet (control) or a high-fiber diets (15%) derived from cellulose, tomato peels or white grape. The rats were sacrificed 24 weeks after the first carcinogen's injection. The ileum, colon and tumors were removed for the study. Areas of the mucosal stroma and of lymph infiltrations, and mitotic index were studied along with morphological parameters. Immunohistochemical parameters included determination of Ki-67 proliferating protein and apoptotic index. RESULTS: Areas of the stroma in colon tumors increased in rats fed tomato peels. Changes in areas of lymphoid infiltrates were related to the type of diet and tumor presence. Lymphoid infiltrations were found to be highly developed in the colon area close to tumors, especially in rats fed the white-grape diet. Mitotic index and Ki-67 protein increased significantly in the colon area close to a tumor and in tumors themselves without any relation to the fiber varieties consumed. Changes in the rate of apoptosis were not related to the preventive effect of diets: apoptotic index was high in tumors obtained from rats fed the high-cellulose diet with high tumor-preventive effects and also from rats fed the high-tomato-peel diet with low tumor-preventive effects. CONCLUSIONS: No morphological changes were found in the ileum of rats exposed to a carcinogen and fed different dietary fibers. In the colon, a carcinogen even in low concentrations inhibited the lymphoid system in the mucosa located far from the tumor or close to the tumor. An increase in the proliferation rate in the colon close to the tumor may reflect the development of precanceromatous processes or may be related to the effect of growth factors expressed by tumor cells. Finding adenoma-like dysplasia near tumors may be possible in early stages of the development of new tumors. In addition, activation of the lymphoid system of the colon following consumption to specific dietary fiber may be a mechanism by which fiber protect against cancer.

1,2-Dimethylhydrazine↗

Tumor-preventive effects of the soluble p53 antigen on chemically-induced skin cancer in mice.

BACKGROUND: The tumor-suppressive effects of the rat soluble p53 antigen on chemically induced skin cancer in mice and the role of the spleen in the immune response to a carcinogen and vaccination were studied. METHODS: Skin cancer was induced by 9,10-dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene (DMBA). Vaccination was initiated by injection of liposomes with the soluble p53 antigen (10-12 micrograms/mouse) while boosters were with the p53 mixed with Freund's incomplete adjuvant (two injections). Four months later, the spleen and tumors were removed and examined morphometrically (determination of areas of different spleen's zones) and immunohistochemically (determination of number of B lymphocytes and macrophages, apoptotic index). The following groups of mice were studied: A) control non treated mice; Bl) tumor-free mice treated with a carcinogen; B2) tumor-bearing mice; Cl) tumor-free vaccinated mice exposed to a carcinogen; C2) tumor-bearing vaccinated mice. RESULTS: Mice exposed to a carcinogen, which were tumor-free, displayed high proliferative activity of the spleenic lymphoid constitutes such as B lymphocytes and macrophages. This was reflected in the remarkable transformation of B lymphocytes in lymphoblasts (blast transformation) and an increase in the area of germinal centers, compared to untreated controls. In tumor-bearing non vaccinated mice, significantly more spleenic apoptotic cells were found than in their tumor-free counterparts. Shrinkage of the mantle layer and a decrease in cellular density of follicles were seen in all carcinogen-treated mice, reflecting the reduced total production of lymphoid cells, and thus the insufficiency of the immune reaction of animals to a carcinogen. A sharp decrease in the apoptotic index in the spleen of tumor-free mice may reflect an inhibition of apoptotic activity of the spleen by a carcinogen. Vaccination with the soluble p53 protein decreased the incidence of tumors and their size, significantly increased the apoptotic index within tumors, and reversed the splenic parameters of immune insufficiency. CONCLUSIONS: The immune system is active during tumorigenesis. Vaccination with the soluble p53 antigen had positive tumor-suppressive effects. The findings may facilitate the development of vaccines for the prevention of recurrent cancers in humans.

9,10-Dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene↗