Effect of Curcuma zedoaria crude extract against tumor progression and immunomodulation

The aim of the present work was to study the effect of the crude extract of Curcuma zedoaria on peripheral blood cells and tumor progression in C57Bl/6J mice injected with B16F10 murine melanoma cells. The intraperitoneal therapy showed a significant increase in total white and red blood cell counts, a decrease in peritoneal cell number and tumor volume reduction, whereas the oral administration revealed a noteworthy augmentation only in total leukocyte count. These results contribute to evaluate the importance of alternative treatments that employ phytotherapic compounds against tumor progression and its possible immunomodulation.

Effect of bacillus of Calmette-Guerin, avridine and Propionibacterium acnes as immunomodulators on rabies in mice

Avaliou-se a resposta imune celular e humoral de camundongos inoculados com virus rabico de rua e submetidos aos imunomoduladores Onco-BCG, avridina e Propionibacterium acnes. Os animais submetidos ao tratamento com P. acnes apresentaram um maior percentual de sobrevivencia quando comparados aos dos demais tratamentos. Foram observados menores niveis de IFN-gama nos animais infectados, sugerindo imunossupressao viral. O teste do Coxim Plantar nao foi eficaz para a deteccao da resposta de hipersensibilidade retardada na metodologia utilizada, contrariamente ao MIF. A sobrevivencia dos animais nao apresentou correlacao com os niveis de anticorpos soroneutralizantes, concentracao de IFN-gama e resposta ao MIF

Antiviral activity of interferon gamma in vivo during mouse hepatitis virus infection

A/J mice became resistant to experimental MHV3 infection after immunization with UV-inactivated MHV3 (0 percent mortality, 0/10). Depletion of interferon (IFN) gamma-producing CD4+ T lymphocytes with monoclonal antibodies to CD4+ led to susceptibility to virus infection (60 percent of mortality, 6/10). The resistance to MHV3 infection of CD4+ T lymphocyte-depleted-A/J mice was restored by treatment with 1000 U of IFN gamma on days -1, 0, 1, 2, 3 and 4 (10 percent of mortality, 1/10). The low virus titers observed in resistant mice (controls or CD4+ depleted plus IFN gamma treated) were cleared 6 days after infection and the virus titers observed among susceptible mice (CD4+ depleted) increased gradually and peaked on day 6, when the animals died. Previous data, taken together with the direct evidence presented in this paper, provide strong evidence supporting the concept of an in vivo antiviral role of IFN gamma through a central action on the mechanisms of resistance to MHV3 infection

A comparative study of resistance to MHV3 infection in genetically homogeneous and heterogeneous mouse populations

Resistance to MHV3 infection was investigated in genetically homogeneous inbred (A/J, BALB/c) and genetically selected (High, Low) mouse lines. The A/J and L lines are resistant and the BALB/c and H mice are susceptible. The genetic analysis was performed on the F1 hybrids, as well as on the genetically heterogeneous F2 populations and backcrosses bred from HxL and A/JxBALB/c lines. The mortality rates of the F1 hybrids showed codominance of susceptibility and resistance characters. The results indicate that the same MHV3 susceptibility genes are present in isogenic and selected lines and corroborate previous results showing that at least two major genes are involved in the control of this response

Phagocytic activity of human colostrum macrophages

1. We evaluated the ability of human colostrum adhering cells to phagocytize sheep red blood cells (E) incubated with rabbit anti-E IgG antibody (A) and zymosan particles incubated with fresh human serum or with the aqueous phase of colestrum. 2. The cells were found to have considerably intense phagocytuc ability, i.e., 96,8% phagocytized EA parcicles, 83.2% phagocytized zymosan particles opsonized with fresh human serum, and 73.3% phagocytized zymosan particles opsonized with the aqueous phase of colostrum. Thus, the aqueous phase of colostrum can opsonize zymosan particles, an activity attributed to the complement system. 3. Total hemolytic complement (V+CH50) and the C3 component in a pool of normal human serum were two-fold higher than in a pool of the aqueous phase of colostum. 4. These results indicate the existence of Fcgama and C3 receptors on the membrane of human colostum macrophages and suggest that these cells may be biologically active