Enhancement of lymphocyte response to PHA by lysosomal enzymes from polymorphonuclear leukocytes of RA joint fluid

The effect of polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) granule lysates obtained from joint fluid of RA an the in vitro DNA synthesis of PHA-stimulated autologous lymphocytes from joint fluid was studied. Lymphocytes were cultured for 3 days with or without PMN lysates in 2 ml of RPMI-1640 supplemented with 10% heat-inactivated fetal calf serum (FCS). The lymphocytes were stimulated with phytohemagglutinin (PHA-M). The DNA synthesis was measured by counting the [³H]thymidine incorporation. Lymphocytes from RA joint fluid stimulated with PHA-M showed 19,466±987 cpm (mean±SE per 10⁶ cells in the absence of PMN lysates. Upon addition PMN lysates to the PHA-stimulated lymphocytes, the maximum in vitro DNA synthesis increased to 44,877±1338 cpm. The enhancing effect of PMN lysates was abolished by plasma inhibitors or by passage through a column of protease inhibitor (Trasylol). It was concluded, therefore, that the enhancing effect of PMN lysates on PHA-stimulated lymphocytes may be associated with lysosomal proteases. Based on experiments using separated T and B lymphocytes, the enhancing effect of PMN lysates was considered to result from the activation of T lymphocytes. The results obtained in the present study suggest an important role for lysosomal proteases in the perpetuation of rheumatoid synovitis.     

The chemotaxis system, but not chemotaxis, is essential for swarming motility in Escherichia coli

The chemotaxis system plays an essential role in swarm cell differentiation and motility. We show in this study that two (Tsr and Tar) of the four chemoreceptors in Escherichia coli can support swarming individually, but sensing their most powerful chemoattractants is not necessary. Conditions that abolish chemotaxis toward serine (presence of serine concentrations that saturate Tsr, or mutations in Tsr that destroy serine binding) have no effect on swarming. Similar results were obtained for the aspartate and maltose chemoreceptor Tar. We also show that although a mutation in the signaling domain of Tsr that inhibits CheA kinase abolishes swarming, nonchemotactic flagellar switch mutants can swarm. Our results suggest that during swarming, the chemoreceptors signal through the chemotaxis pathway and induce swarmer cell differentiation in response to signals other than their known chemoeffectors.     

Childhood blastic NK cell leukemia successfully treated with L-asparagenase and allogeneic bone marrow transplantation

Blastic NK cell lymphoma/leukemia is a rare and highly malignant neoplasia in both adults and children. It is characterized by lymphoblastoid morphology without cytoplasmic granules and immature NK cell immunophenotypes (CD56+, CD57-, CD16-). It has predilection for extranodal organ involvement, and the prognosis of affected patients is extremely poor under the current chemotherapy. We present a 14-year-old girl who was diagnosed as having blastic NK cell leukemia with mediastinal, pleural, and pericardial involvement. Immunophenotyping of her leukemic cells showed positive for CD2, CD5, CD7, CD34, CD56, HLA-DR, and cytoplasmic CD3. T cell receptor (TCR) and Immunoglobulin heavy chain genes were not rearranged. She received chemotherapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia incorporating L-asparaginase (L-asp) which successfully induced complete remission. Bone marrow transplantation (BMT) from her HLA-identical sibling was conducted after two courses of consolidation therapy. Expression of aspargine synthetase (AS) protein in the leukemic cells at diagnosis was examined by an immunocytochemical method. She remains in hematological remission for over 36 months after BMT. The expression of AS protein was negative, suggesting that the leukemic cells were sensitive to L-asp. Induction and consolidation therapy incorporating L-asp followed by allo-BMT might be a promising treatment for child hood blastic NK cell leukemia, but more samples of the rare leukemia need to be studied before any definitive conclusions can be drawn.     

Combinatorial use of sodium laurate with taurine or L-glutamine enhances colonic absorption of rebamipide,poorly absorbable antiulcer drug,without any serious histopathological mucosal damages

We previously reported that the combinatorial use of sodium laurate (C12) with several amino acids such as taurine (Tau) and L-glutamine (L-Gln) enhanced the colonic absorption of phenol red with attenuating the local toxicity caused by C12. However, even these amino acids could not protect epithelial cells from being damaged if the mucosal damage got worse to the coagulation necrosis by an excessive dose of C12. Comparing C12 with sodium caprate (C10), used in drug products marketed, 100 micromol C10 was needed to exert the similar absorption-enhancement of rebamipide, a poorly absorbable antiulcer drug, to that by 10 micromol C12, and 100 micromol C10 was obviously more toxic to the mucosa than 10 micromol C12. The combinatorial use of C12 with Tau or L-Gln enhanced the colonic absorption of rebamipide four to nine times larger in AUC than the control. Histopathologic studies clearly showed that Tau and L-Gln exerted the cytoprotective action on epithelial cells suffering from slight damages such as shrinkage and exfoliation, more articulately at 6 h than at 1.5 h after dosing. In conclusion, the combinatorial use of C12 with Tau or L-Gln could lead to a novel formulation improving the bioavailability of poorly absorbable drugs without any serious local damages.     

Novel oral formulation safely improving intestinal absorption of poorly absorbable drugs: utilization of polyamines and bile acids.

In order to develop a novel oral formulation that can safely improve the intestinal absorption of poorly absorbable drugs, polyamines such as spermine (SPM) and spermidine (SPD) was examined as an absorption enhancing adjuvant in rats. The absorption of rebamipide, classified into BCS Class IV, from colon was significantly improved by SPM or SPD, and the enhancing ability of SPM was larger than that of SPD. As a possible mixing and/or interaction of polyamines with bile acids were expected, the combinatorial use of sodium taurocholate (STC) with polyamines was also examined. The absorption of rebamipide was drastically improved by the combinatorial use of SPM or SPD with STC. As STC itself did not enhance the absorption of rebamipide so much, it was considered that polyamines and STC had a synergistic enhancing effect. In-vivo oral absorption study was also performed to investigate the effectiveness and safety of polyamines and their combinatorial use with STC in rats. Although the enhancing effect slightly attenuated comparing with the in-situ loop study, the absorption of rebamipide was significantly improved and the combinatorial use of 10 mM SPM with 25 mM STC showed the largest enhancing effect. Histopathological studies clearly showed that any significant change in stomach and duodenum was not caused by SPM (10 mM), SPD (10 mM) or their combinatorial use with STC (25 mM) at 1.5 or 8.0 h after oral administration. Taken all together, polyamines, especially SPM, and its combinatorial use with STC could improve the absorption of poorly absorbable drugs without any significant changes in gastrointestinal tract after oral administration in rats.     

Direct demonstration of the function of T cell subsets reactive with anti-T cell antibodies from SLE sera

Summary Anti-lymphocyte antibodies obtained from patients with active systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) were used in a solid-phase procedure performed at 37 °C to isolate two distinctive T lymphocyte subpopulations. Lymphocytes isolated in this way were characterized by a fivefold enrichment in cells with the T8 phenotype and a threefold diminution in cells with the T4 phenotype over the residual lymphocytes that did not react with the antilymphocyte antibodies. Evidence was obtained that the dominant class of anti-lymphocyte antibodies reacting at 37 °C were of the IgG class. The isolated lymphocyte population, both with and without Con A stimulation strongly suppressed B cell IgG secretion stimulated by pokeweed mitogen. In contrast, the residual cells enhanced Ig secretion in the same system. These results indicate that the positively selected T cells with anti-lymphocyte antibodies from active SLE sera are mainly suppressor T cells.