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PubMed1986

A new simple fluorometric assay for phagocytosis.

A highly sensitive, but simple and quantitative, fluorometric assay method for phagocytosis by cells such as macrophages and polymorphonuclear leukocytes was developed by utilizing fluorescent particles. Escherichia coli, Serratia marcescens, yeast, and latex particles were conjugated with fluorescein isothiocyanate and used as fluorescent particles. The assay procedure requires phagocytic cells, appropriate medium, fluorescent particles, sodium dodecyl sulfate, microtiter culture plate (24 wells), clinical centrifuge, and fluorescence spectrophotometer. One hundred assays can be done within 30 min after the incubation period. A time course analysis with this method showed that the phagocytosis of all these particles was dependent on temperature, and that the number of particles ingested by cells increased rapidly during the initial 30 min of incubation at 37 degrees C. Free fluorescent particles can be removed effectively by aspiration from the well. At 0 degree C, very few particles were ingested by cells or adsorbed onto the phagocytic cell surface as confirmed by fluorescence microscopy. An inhibitory effect of cepharanthin and sodium azide on phagocytosis was also confirmed by this method. The differential susceptibility of E. coli B and S. marcescens to phagocytosis also could be determined by this method.

Alkaloids↗

PubMed1994

Tradescantia stamen hair mutation bioassay.

The Tradescantia stamen hair mutation (Trad-SH) assay (clone 4430) was evaluated for its efficiency and reliability as a screen for mutagens in an IPCS collaborative study on plant systems. Four coded chemicals, i.e. azidoglycerol (AG, 3-azido-1,2-propanediol), N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU), sodium azide (NaN3) and maleic hydrazide (MH) were distributed by the Radian Corporation to the five laboratories in five different countries for testing mutagenicity. Pink mutations were scored between the 7th and 14th day according to a standard protocol. Test results from the five individual laboratories were analyzed and compared after decoding. One out of the two laboratories that conducted tests on AG demonstrated that AG is a mutagen with genetically effective doses ranging from 50 to 100 micrograms/ml. MH yielded positive responses in all laboratories but no linear dose-response pattern was observed. The effective dose range for MH was between 1 and 45 micrograms/ml. The mutagenicity of MNU was reported by five laboratories in the dose range between 10 and 80 micrograms/ml. NaN3, which exhibited a relatively high degree of toxicity, elicited a positive mutagenic response in three of the five laboratories in which it was tested. As with MNU the effective dose for NaN3 ranged between 3 and 80 micrograms/ml. The results from the current study substantiate the Trad-SH assay as a reliable system for screening chemicals for their potential mutagenic effects. Although the study was carried out exclusively under laboratory conditions, a survey of the current literature would indicate that the Trad-SH assay could be an effective in situ monitor of gaseous, liquid, and radioactive pollutants as well.

Azides↗

PubMed1993

Topoisomerase inhibitors induce apoptosis in thymocytes.

The effects of the inhibitors of topoisomerase I and II, camptothecin and etoposide, as well as novobiocin and adriamycin, on the DNA fragmentation and viability of mouse thymocytes in primary culture were examined. All inhibitors were shown to produce dose-dependent internucleosomal DNA cleavage by resolving isolated DNA by agarose-gel electrophoresis. The DNA fragmentation seemed to precede cell death, determined on the basis of LDH release, by a few hours. Etoposide-induced DNA fragmentation progressively increased after incubation and was enhanced by pretreatment with phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate, a phorbol ester capable of activating protein kinase C, whereas camptothecin-induced DNA fragmentation increased progressively after 12 h incubation and was unaffected by phorbol 12,13-dibutyrate-pretreatment. The process was also energy-dependent and required RNA and protein synthesis and protein phosphorylation, since it was inhibited by sodium azide, actinomycin D, cycloheximide and 1-(5-isoquinoline-sulfonyl)-2-methylpiperazine hydrochloride, a protein kinase inhibitor. DNA fragmentation was also inhibited by zinc ions, suggesting the involvement of a specific endonuclease in DNA cleavage. These phenomena are similar to those detected in thymocytes undergoing apoptosis following exposure to glucocorticoids (Cohen, J.J. and Duke, R.C. (1984) J. Immunol. 132, 38-42). Considering that topoisomerases function in cellular proliferation and differentiation by altering DNA topology, the results suggest that topoisomerases have important roles in T-lymphocyte ontogeny in the thymus and are in part involved in the elimination of autoreactive or harmful cells by an apoptotic process.

1-(5-Isoquinolinesulfonyl)-2-Methylpiperazine↗

PubMed1997

Degradation of hyaluronic acid by photosensitized riboflavin in vitro. Modulation of the effect by transition metals, radical quenchers, and metal chelators.

The effect of photoexcited riboflavin (RF) on the viscosity of hyaluronic acid (HA) solutions has been investigated. UV irradiation of RF causes under aerobic conditions fragmentation of HA and a decrease in the viscosity of its solutions. A decrease of HA viscosity occurs in PO(4)-buffered solutions and is accelerated by high pH, Fe2+ (but much less so by Fe3+), certain metal chelators, and horseradish peroxidase (HRP); it is partially inhibited by catalase and less so by superoxide dismutase (SOD). The reactivity of the system was completely blocked by Tris, ethanol, aspirin, d-manitol, dimethylthiourea (DMTU), dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), and sodium azide. These results indicate that the most likely chemical species involved in the reaction is the hydroxyl radical. Singlet oxygen ((1)O(2)) generation is suggested by the ability of NaN3 and DMSO to completely inhibit the reactivity of the system. These two agents, however, may also interact with OH. radical, as well and suppress the reactivity of the system. H(2)O(2) and O(2).- seem also to be produced in significant amounts, because catalase and SOD partially block the reactivity of the system. The effect of HRP may be due to hydrogen subtraction from HA and H(2)O(2) reduction to water. Photoexcitation of RF may potentially occur in vitro and in vivo in the organs and tissues that are permeable to light, such as the eye or skin, and damage HA and other cell-matrix components causing inflammation and accelerating aging.

Animals↗

PubMed1983

Isolation of Daudi cells with reduced sensitivity to interferon. II. On the mechanisms of resistance.

The mechanism of interferon resistance was studied in two clones of Daudi cells, DIF2 and DIF3, which exhibit respectively moderate and pronounced resistance to both the antiviral and antiproliferative actions of human interferons-alpha and -beta. Clones DIF2 and DIF3 were found to possess specific high affinity interferon receptors similar to those of parental Daudi cells. However, DIF2 cells, which have a tetraploid karyotype, had approximately twice as many interferon-binding sites as either DIF3 or parental Daudi cells. One of the first detectable changes in Daudi cells following interferon treatment is a rapid increase in the intracellular concentration of cyclic GMP. No increase in cyclic GMP was observed in DIF2 or DIF3 cells treated with interferon-alpha. However, neither DIF2 nor DIF3 cells respond to sodium azide, a nonphysiological inducer of cyclic GMP. Interferon treatment was found to induce the production of 2'-5'-oligo-isoadenylate synthetase in DIF2 and DIF3 cells in a manner similar to parental Daudi cells, indicating that these cells possess functional interferon receptors. The levels of 2'-5'-oligo-isoadenylate synthetase and 2'-5' A phosphodiesterase activity were similar in all three cell lines, suggesting that the interferon resistance of clones DIF2 and DIF3 was not due to a deficiency of pp(A2' p)nA.

Azides↗

PubMed1992

Ecto-calcium-dependent ATPase activity of mammalian taste bud cells.

Histochemistry was utilized to characterize Ca-ATPases associated with lingual taste buds in the golden hamster. Taste buds showed elevated staining for magnesium- or calcium-dependent ATPase (Ca-ATPase) relative to the surrounding epithelium. At low calcium concentrations (0.1-0.5 mM), intracellular staining predominated. Most of the studies were conducted at calcium concentrations of > or = 10 mM, in which most of the staining was localized to the external face of plasma membranes of taste bud cells (including receptor and basal cells) located in the core of fungiform taste buds, or the entire vallate or foliate taste buds. The peripheral fungiform taste bud cells stained much less intensely, but the peripheral cells adjacent to the core showed intermediate levels. GTP and ITP were just as effective substrates as ATP. Millimolar concentrations of magnesium were as effective as calcium. Inhibitors of intracellular ATPases, including quercetin, sodium azide, and 2,4-dinitrophenol, had no effect on the staining. Therefore, the Ca-ATPase staining of plasma membranes at mM concentrations of calcium is thought to correspond to one or more ecto-Ca-ATPase activities with unknown functions. Roles related to increased energy requirements or to the possible function of ATP as a neurotransmitter or -modulator are proposed.

2,4-Dinitrophenol↗

PubMed1987

Binding and internalization of recombinant human erythropoietin in murine erythroid precursor cells.

Erythropoietin (EPO) biosynthetically labelled with [35S]cysteine was produced from Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells containing amplified copies of human EPO cDNA. The glycosylated recombinant [35S]EPO, purified to virtual radiochemical homogeneity, was biologically active. We studied the interaction of this labeled recombinant EPO with erythroid precursor cells from mice made anemic with phenylhydrazine. The [35S]-labeled molecule bound to erythroid precursors in a time- and temperature-dependent manner. The binding was specific for EPO, and neither insulin, transferrin, epidermal growth factor, nor multiplication stimulating activity could compete for EPO binding sites. In the presence of 0.2% sodium azide, which blocks 80% to 90% of internalization, the recombinant molecule bound with an apparent Kd of 750 pmol/L and 100 to 200 binding sites per cell at 37 degrees C. Asialo-EPO was a more effective competitor than sialated EPO for the available binding sites. Thus, the enhanced biological specific activity of asialo-EPO could result from its enhanced binding affinity. We also studied recombinant human EPO labeled with 125I and found that it also bound to the erythroid cells in a saturable and specific manner. After 90 minutes of incubation at 37 degrees C, most of the bound [35S]EPO was internalized, whereas most of the [125I]EPO remained on the cell surface. The reduced internalization of the iodinated molecule could account for the previously reported functional deficit associated with iodination.

Animals↗

PubMed1985

Antibody-induced redistribution of Heymann antigen on the surface of cultured glomerular visceral epithelial cells: possible role in the pathogenesis of Heymann glomerulonephritis.

In this study we analyze the ability of antibodies that produce passive Heymann glomerulonephritis to induce antigen redistribution on the surface of cultured glomerular visceral epithelial cells (GEC). Polyclonal antibodies produced by immunization with membrane vesicles prepared from proximal tubule brush borders (BB) and polyclonal (rabbit) and monoclonal (mouse) antibodies to a membrane glycoprotein (gp 330) purified from epithelial cells of rat proximal tubule were used. The study by immunofluorescence of GEC kept at 4 degrees C or fixed with paraformaldehyde showed that the three antibody preparations reacted with the plasma membrane in a punctate pattern known to be due to staining of coated pits or coated vesicles on the cell surface. At 37 degrees C and, at a slower rate, at 22 degrees C, the two polyclonal antibodies induced a rapid clustering of antigen-antibody complexes on the nonadherent surface of living cultured GEC with subsequent formation of patches and caps and, after prolonged incubation, with temporary disappearance of Heymann antigen from the cell surface, so-called antigenic modulation. Antigen redistribution and modulation were inhibited by sodium azide, indicating that these processes are energy dependent. Monovalent Fab fragments of antibodies to BB vesicles did not alter the distribution of Heymann antigen unless they were subsequently cross-linked. Monoclonal anti-gp330 induced a modest degree of antigen redistribution, which was increased by subsequent cross-linking. Exposure of glomerular epithelial cells to cytochalasin B, colchicine, or ionophore A23187 prevented or altered antigen redistribution at 37 degrees C. Furthermore, the antibody-induced antigen redistribution was associated with changes in distribution of cytoplasmic actin, myosin, and tubulin, indicating that it is related to the contractile activity GEC. LEW rats, given i.v. injection of IgG directed against BB membrane vesicles, developed passive Heymann glomerulonephritis (i.e., immune deposits in the lamina rara externa of the glomerular basement membrane). In contrast, the glomeruli of rats exposed for longer periods to larger amounts of Fab fragments of the same antibodies failed to develop immune deposits. These studies show that the antibodies to the nephritogenic antigen of Heymann glomerulonephritis may induce a redistribution of immune complexes (IC) in the membrane of glomerular epithelial cells that is similar to that produced by other plasma membrane antigen-ligand interactions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Animals↗

PubMed1983

Human interferon-gamma is internalized and degraded by cultured fibroblasts.

Human interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) binds specifically and with high affinity to receptors on the surface of cultured fibroblasts (GM-258). At 37 degrees C about 50% of the receptor-bound IFN-gamma was rapidly internalized (t 1/2 = 4-5 min) by these cells. Following an initial lag of 15-30 min, internalized IFN-gamma was continuously degraded over a period of at least 8 h. The total uptake of IFN-gamma over this time period was found to exceed by 5 times the number of occupied IFN receptors present on the surface of these cells, suggesting that either there is a large intracellular pool of IFN-gamma receptors, or that receptors are recycled during the course of incubation. Cycloheximide (100 micrograms/ml) inhibited uptake only after the first 2 h of incubation and then only moderately. It is therefore unlikely that de novo receptor synthesis plays a major role in the observed uptake process. Both sodium azide (15 mM) and methylamine (20 mM) inhibited both the uptake and degradation of IFN-gamma at all times up to 6 h. While uptake was only slightly reduced in the presence of chloroquine (25 microM), degradation was markedly inhibited, suggesting that degradation occurs intracellularly, probably within lysosomes.

Azides↗

PubMed1995

Kinetics of plasma membrane and mitochondrial alterations in cells undergoing apoptosis.

Programmed cell death or apoptosis is characterized by typical morphological alterations. By transmission electron microscopy, apoptotic cells are identified by condensation of the chromatin in tight apposition to the nuclear envelope, alteration of the nuclear envelope and fragmentation of the nucleus, whereas integrity of the plasma membrane and organelles is preserved. Conversely cells undergoing necrosis display an early desintegration of cytoplasmic membrane and swelling of mitochondria. In this study we assessed by flow cytometry the sequential alterations of forward angle light scatter, 90 degrees light scatter, and fluorescence associated with fluorescein diacetate, rhodamine 123, and propidium iodide in two human B cell lines undergoing apoptosis induced by the topoisomerase II inhibitor VP-16. The kinetics of these modifications were compared to those of cells undergoing necrosis induced by sodium azide. At the same time intervals, cells were examined by transmission electron microscopy and by UV microscopy after staining with Hoechst 33342. We report that sequential changes in light scatters and fluorescein diacetate are similar in cells undergoing apoptosis or necrosis, whereas apoptosis is characterized by a slightly delayed decrease of mitochondrial activity as assessed by rhodamine 123 staining. Surprisingly a part of cells undergoing apoptosis displayed an early uptake of propidium iodide followed by a condensation and then a fragmentation of their nuclei. It is concluded that uptake of propidium iodide is a very early marker of cell death which does not discriminate between necrosis and apoptosis. Along with biochemical criteria, nuclear morphology revealed by staining with Hoechst 33342 would seem to be of the most simple and most discriminative assay of apoptosis.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

UV-dependent quinolone-induced human erythrocyte membrane lipid peroxidation: studies on the phototoxicity of Y-26611, a new quinolone derivative.

Quinolone antibacterial drugs are widely used as oral therapeutic agents. However, in some patients they cause ultraviolet (UV)-dependent dermatitis. Using lipid peroxidation as an index of phototoxicity, we studied the effects of a new quinolone derivative, Y-26611 together with ofloxacin, sparofloxicin and lomefloxacin on washed human erythrocyte suspensions. Irradiation of erythrocytes with UV-A or UV-B for 60 min. in the presence of Y-26611 (30-600 micrograms/ml) strong dose dependent lipid peroxidation, up to 17.01 nmoles/ml was induced. Under identical conditions, lipid peroxidation induced by up to 600 micrograms/ml ofloxacin, sparofloxacin or lomefloxacin were 0.94, 3.36 and 2.98 nmoles/ml respectively. The lipid peroxidation was entirely dependent on both UV as well as the drug. The lipid peroxidation responses to drug+UV could completely be inhibited by sodium azide (hydroxyl radical, HO. and single oxygen, 1O2 scavenger) or by phenyl N-tert-butylnitrone (PBN, HO. and superoxide anion radical, O2- scavenger). It is likely that reactive oxygen species generated by interaction between UV-sensitized drug molecules and oxygen molecules mediate erythrocyte membrane lipid peroxidation. The method used in this study is rapid and convenient for screening drugs for UV-dependent cytotoxicity.

4-Quinolones↗

PubMed1989

In vivo activation of peripheral blood polymorphonuclear neutrophils by gamma interferon results in enhanced fungal killing.

The effect of in vivo administration of murine recombinant gamma interferon (IFN) on the fungicidal activity of murine peripheral blood polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PB-PMNs) was studied. Mice were injected intramuscularly with 250, 2,500, 25,000 or 250,000 U of IFN 5 h before collection of peripheral blood. Purified PB-PMNs were cocultured in vitro with Blastomyces dermatitidis yeast cells for 2 h. PB-PMNs from untreated mice killed 44.5 +/- 12.5% of the fungal inoculum, whereas PB-PMNs from mice treated with 25,000 or 250,000 U of IFN showed significantly enhanced in vitro killing (68.0 +/- 9.4% [P less than 0.005] and 72.3 +/- 1.1% [P less than 0.001], respectively). Treatment with 250 or 2,500 U of IFN or 25,000 U of heated (100 degrees C, 15 min) IFN had no effect. The IFN-induced activation of PB-PMNs was transitory. Significant enhancement of PB-PMN killing activity occurred 1, 2, or 5 h after in vivo IFN administration, but no enhancement was observed 16 or 24 h after IFN treatment. Enhanced fungicidal activity by PB-PMNs from mice treated for 5 h with 25,000 U of IFN correlated with an increased release of superoxide anion (O2-) in vitro after stimulation of PB-PMNs with phorbol ester; normal PB-PMNs and IFN-activated PB-PMNs, respectively, produced 2.2 +/- 2.5 and 23.5 +/- 4.8 nmol of O2- per 10(6) PB-PMNs per 30 min (P less than 0.005). The exogenous addition of compounds that antagonize or inhibit the formation of oxygen radicals (superoxide dismutase, catalase, dimethyl sulfoxide, or sodium azide) significantly inhibited fungal killing by both normal and IFN-activated PB-PMNs. In addition to the enhanced microbicidal activity and superoxide generation demonstrated in vitro with constant cell numbers, there was a transient leukocytosis (particularly neutrophilia) in peripheral blood at doses of IFN and at times after IFN administration where enhanced activity was also demonstrated. In summary, our results indicate that PB-PMNs can be activated in vivo for enhanced killing of a fungal target. The enhanced killing capacity of IFN-activated PB-PMNs is due at least in part to the enhancement of oxidative killing mechanisms.

Animals↗

PubMed1993

Relatively immediate relaxant effects of cholera toxin on isolated rabbit blood vessels.

A study was made on the relatively immediate relaxant effect of cholera toxin (CTX) on the isolated ear artery, thoracic aorta and saphenous vein of the rabbit. Both preparations of CTX, containing sodium azide (NaN3) and azide-free, showed no effect on the non-precontracted artery, but CTX containing NaN3 relaxed the moderately precontracted blood vessels with methoxamine promptly, i.e., with a time course of min order. However, the immediate relaxation produced by CTX containing NaN3 was attributed mainly to NaN3. Azide-free CTX, on the other hand, at 1-10 micrograms/ml gradually produced concentration-dependent relaxation of the precontracted vessels. The relaxant effects of CTX on the vessels were slow and long-lasting, i.e., with a time course of 10 min order. The relaxation induced by CTX was not influenced by the removal of endothelium nor by pretreatment with 10 microM indomethacin, 3 microM atropine or 3 microM propranolol. Activation of protein kinase C by a phorbol ester inhibited the relaxant effect of CTX. These results indicate that CTX relaxes the blood vessels by directly acting on the smooth muscles, without mediation by known endogenous relaxing factor, such as endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF = NO) or prostaglandin I2 (prostacyclin) and by muscarinic receptor or beta-adrenoceptor.

Animals↗

PubMed1997

Effect of vitamin C on prostate cancer cells in vitro: effect on cell number, viability, and DNA synthesis.

BACKGROUND: Many studies describe the protective role of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) against cancer development and in treatment of established cancer. The present study investigated whether ascorbic acid demonstrates a therapeutic benefit for prostate cancer. METHODS: Androgen-independent (DU145) and androgen-dependent (LNCaP) human prostate cancer cell lines were both treated in vitro with vitamin C (0-10 mM). Cell counts, cell viability, and thymidine incorporation into DNA were determined. RESULTS: Treatment of DU145 and LNCaP cells with vitamin C resulted in a dose- and time-dependent decrease in cell viability and thymidine incorporation into DNA. Vitamin C induced these changes through the production of hydrogen peroxide; addition of catalase (100-300 units/ml), an enzyme that degrades hydrogen peroxide, inhibited the effects of ascorbic acid. Superoxide dismutase, an enzyme that dismutates superoxide and generates hydrogen peroxide, did not prevent decreases in cell number and DNA synthesis, suggesting further the involvement of hydrogen peroxide in vitamin C-induced changes. These results clearly indicate that reactive oxygen species (ROS) are involved in vitamin C-induced cell damage. However, that singlet oxygen scavengers such as sodium azide and hydroquinone and hydroxyl radical scavengers such as D-mannitol and DL-alpha-tocopherol did not counteract the effects of ascorbic acid on thymidine incorporation suggests that vitamin C-induced changes do not occur through the generation of these ROS. CONCLUSIONS: Vitamin C inhibits cell division and growth through production of hydrogen peroxide, which damages the cells probably through an as yet unidentified free radical(s) generation/mechanism. Our results also suggest that ascorbic acid is a potent anticancer agent for prostate cancer cells.

Androgens↗

PubMed1981

Immunoelectron microscopic localization of the 210,000-mol wt microtubule-associated protein in cultured cells of primates.

Results from ultrastructural immunocytochemistry on glutaraldehyde-fixed cells confirmed and extended findings previously obtained with immunofluorescence. A microtubule-associated protein (MAP) of 210,000 molecular weight was shown to be specifically associated with all cytoplasmic and mitotic microtubules along their entire length in primate cells. Specific labeling with the anti-MAP antibody could not be detected on any other subcellular structures, notably the centrosomes, kinetochores, microfilaments, and intermediate filaments. Treatment with the microtubule-disrupting drug, nocodazole, induced diffusion of the MAP throughout the cytoplasm. During repolymerization of microtubules following disassembly by nocodazole, the association of the MAP with the microtubules was intermediate and complete. When cells were treated with vinblastine, the tubulin paracrystals formed were heavily stained by the antibody. Neither sodium azide nor taxol affected the association of the MAP with microtubules.

Alkaloids↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Energy transformation coupled to formate oxidation during anaerobic fermentation].

A correlation between the rate of ATP synthesis by F0F1 ATP-synthase and formate oxidation by formate hydrogen lyase (FHL) has been established in inverted membrane vesicles of Escherichia coli JW 136 mutant with double deletions (delta hya/ delta hyb) of hydrogenase 1 and 2 grown anaerobically on glucose in the absence of external electron acceptors (pH 6.5). ATP synthesis was suppressed by H+ -ATPase inhibitors N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCCD) and sodium azide as well as by the protonophore carbonyl cyanide-m-chlorophenyhydrazone (CCCP). Copper ions inhibited formate-dependent hydrogenase and ATP-synthase activities but did not affect the ATPase activity of vesicles. The maximal rate of ATP synthesis (0.83 microM/min x mg protein) stimulated by K+ ions was determined when sodium formate, ADP and inorganic phosphate were applied simultaneously. The results confirm the assumption about the dual role of hydrogenase 3, formate hydrogen lyase subunit, which is able to couple the reduction of protons to H2 and their translocation through a membrane with chemiosmotic synthesis of ATP.

Adenosine Diphosphate↗

PubMed1995

Lymphocyte adhesive interactions with lacrimal gland acinar epithelial cells in primary culture.

PURPOSE: In lacrimal glands, cell-cell interactions control the localization of lymphocyte populations that play a role in immune defense at the ocular surface. This study describes lymphocyte adhesive interactions with cultured lacrimal gland acinar epithelial cells. METHODS: Primary cultures of lacrimal gland epithelial cells were used as targets for in vitro lymphocyte binding assays. The relative adherence of lymphocyte populations was determined. Various physiologically active agents and putative ligand analogs were tested for their effect in the binding assay. RESULTS: Thoracic duct lymphocytes (TDL) bound to cultured lacrimal acinar epithelial cells in greater numbers than did thymocytes (54 cells/mm2 versus 8 cells/mm2). B cells showed preferential adherence compared with T cells (75% sIg+, 14% W3/13+). Thoracic duct lymphocyte binding required intact metabolic and membrane-cytoskeletal function and was inhibited by treating the lymphocytes with sodium azide, formaldehyde, or cytochalasin B (23%, 12%, and 10% of control binding, respectively). Further, adherence was dependent on divalent cations. Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid-mediated inhibition (42% of untreated) was restored by replacing calcium (89%) but not magnesium (41%). Lymphocyte adherence was inhibited in the presence of fucoidin or phosphomannan polysaccharides (36% and 48% of control binding, respectively). Fibronectin peptides, which are involved in certain types of integrin-mediated adherence, had no effect in this system. Lacrimal culture supernatants contained a factor that was inhibitory for TDL adherence (more than 50% inhibition when concentrated 5 or 10 times). CONCLUSIONS: Thoracic duct lymphocyte adherence to cultured lacrimal gland acinar epithelial cells shows good correlation with previously reported adherence to lacrimal gland frozen sections. Further, lacrimal cell culture supernatants contain soluble factors that inhibit TDL adherence to epithelial cells. These findings suggest that the lacrimal molecules involved in lymphocyte localization are shed and that lacrimal epithelial cell cultures will be useful for ligand isolation and characterization.

Animals↗

PubMed1998

Development of new tester strains derived from E. coli WP2uvrA for the determination of mutational specificity.

We have developed a set of multipurpose tester strains (WP3101 to WP3106) derived from E. coli WP2uvrA for the detection and classification of mutagens. Six kinds of F' plasmid (lacI, lacZ, proAB+) in strains CC101-CC106, each of which carried a different lacZ allele, were transferred to a delta(lac-pro) derivative of WP2uvrA. Assays for transitions and transversions are based upon Lac+ reversion of a specific mutation located within the lacZ gene on an F' plasmid in strains WP3101-WP3106. In addition, the trpE65(ochre) allele in the same strains is available for Trp+ reversion assays. Using the new tester strains, we investigated the mutational specificities of various chemical mutagens. Base analog mutagens and alkylating mutagens induced specific types of base substitutions. G:C-->A:T transitions and G:C-->T:A transversions predominated in mutagenesis induced by 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide. Only a slight increase in G:C-->T:A transversions was observed in cells treated with 2-(2-furyl)-3-(5-nitro-2-furyl)acrylamide (AF-2), although the potent mutagenicity of AF-2 was detected in a concurrent Trp+ reversion assay in the same strain. Sodium azide, on the other hand, was negative in the Trp+ reversion assay but specifically induced G:C-->A:T transitions. Present finding suggested that target sites for AF-2- and azide-induced lesions may largely depend on sequence context.

4-Nitroquinoline-1-oxide↗