ABSTRACT
The mouse monoclonal antibodies, prepared with rat beta H-crystallin as parent antigen, show cross-reactivity to specific subunits in beta H-, beta L1-, and beta L2-crystallin but no reactivity to either alpha- or gamma-crystallins. Antigenic homology among the beta-crystallin subunits was demonstrated by comparison of the topographic distributions of peptides on two-dimensional electrophoretograms subjected to either staining or an ELISA of the immunoblots.
Subject(s)
Antibodies, Monoclonal , Crystallins/immunology , Epitopes , Animals , Antibodies, Monoclonal/biosynthesis , Antibodies, Monoclonal/isolation & purification , Cross Reactions , Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel , Immunoelectrophoresis , Rats , Rats, Inbred StrainsABSTRACT
Monocytes were isolated by adherence from peripheral blood of normal controls and patients with systemic lupus erythematosus who were in the inactive and untreated phase of the disease. Peritoneal macrophages were isolated by adherence from NZB/W, BXSB and C57 control mice. These mononuclear phagocytes were cultured for 24 hours in the presence or absence of immune complexes (IC), after which prostaglandin E (PGE) levels were measured by RIA. Among the humans, normal monocytes responded to in vitro IC treatment with a 6.3-fold increase in PGE output and monocytes from SLE patients displayed only a 3-fold increase in PGE output. Baseline levels showed no difference. Circulating IC levels, as determined by the Raji cell assay, were highly elevated (greater than 6400 ug/ml) in all but one SLE patient. The murine lupus models compared to controls showed similar differences. C57Bl/nJ mice showed a significant increase of PGE production when stimulated with increasing amounts of IC. BXSB and NAB/W mice, however, showed no such increase. It is hypothesized that defective Fc receptor function on monocytes of patients with SLE prevent IC-induced production of normal amounts of PGE.
Subject(s)
Antigen-Antibody Complex/physiology , Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic/metabolism , Macrophages/metabolism , Monocytes/metabolism , Prostaglandins E/biosynthesis , Animals , Ascitic Fluid/cytology , Cells, Cultured , Female , Humans , Male , Mice , Mice, Inbred C57BL , Mice, Inbred NZBSubject(s)
B-Lymphocytes/immunology , Blood Pressure , Hypertension/immunology , Levamisole/pharmacology , T-Lymphocytes/immunology , Animals , B-Lymphocytes/drug effects , Blood Pressure/drug effects , Female , Hypertension/genetics , Hypertension/physiopathology , Lymphocyte Activation/drug effects , Male , Prostaglandins E/biosynthesis , Rats , Sex Factors , T-Lymphocytes/drug effectsABSTRACT
The effects of chronic feeding of low levels of lead on various cells of the rat immune system have been investigated. In the presence of Con A and PHA, lead appears to increase blastogenesis up to approximately 5 weeks with activity approaching that of the unleaded control cells at 14 weeks. B cells responded with increased mitogenicity in the presence of LPS up to the time of termination of the experiment (14 weeks). Macrophage activity and number in the lead-fed rat showed consistent decrease and eventual morphological impairment. It is hypothesized that lead has mitogen-like activity but disruption of macrophage-T cell interaction occurs with time.
Subject(s)
Immunity, Cellular/drug effects , Lead/pharmacology , Animals , B-Lymphocytes/immunology , Cells, Cultured , Concanavalin A/pharmacology , Lipopolysaccharides/pharmacology , Lymphocyte Activation , Macrophages/immunology , Male , Phytohemagglutinins/pharmacology , Rats , T-Lymphocytes/immunology , Thymidine/metabolismABSTRACT
Mouse spinal cord-ganglia cultures were innoculated with murine cytomegalo-virus 14 days after explantation. Intranuclear virus was first observed 4 days after infection. The viruses, which occurred in four forms, were observed in increasing numbers during the ensuing 4 days. Differences were noted in the relative prevalence of certain of these forms in older as compared to younger cultures. This suggests that variations in virus form are related to virus maturation. Cytoplasmic viruses were occasionally observed, but their site of origin is not certain. A variety of cytoplasmic inclusions were seen, particularly in the older cultures. It seems likely that they represent specific cell responses to the presence of the virus. They were not observed in the control cultures, even though some of the latter did show severe degenerative changes.
