[A study on chemoprevention of retinamide II from cervical precancerous lesions].

The patients with cervical precancerous lesions were double-blindly randomized into two groups. The one was treated with retinamide II (RII) suppository intravaginally and the other with placebo, once daily for 50 days as a course. The results showed precancerous lesions in 68.57% of the patients disappeared, with an overall effective rate of 74.29% after two-course treatment with RII. Its long-term curative effect approximated to that with laser beam radiation and electrocautery (P > 0.05), and differed significantly (P < 0.01) from that with common antiphlogistic. So, RII can be used as a major measure in prevention and treatment for cervical cancer in high-incidence areas in our country.

[N2 laser in diagnosis of early cervical cancer].

Two-hundred and thirty-three cases of severe cervical erosion with positive or doubtful Pap smear or atypical cervical proliferation were examined by N2 laser stimulating intrinsic fluorescence method in order to detect early cervical cancer and precancerous lesions. This diagnosis can be made by the fluorescence color or by drawing a curve in a dark room. The correspondent rate to pathological findings was 100% for cervical cancer and 93.9% for cervical dysplasia.

Shared actions of endotoxin and taxol on TNF receptors and TNF release.

Bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) exerts profound effects on mammalian hosts in part by inducing macrophages to release tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha); the mechanisms involved are unresolved. The microtubule stabilizer taxol shared two actions of LPS on macrophages: it rapidly decreased TNF-alpha receptors and triggered TNF-alpha release. Both actions of taxol were absent in LPS-hyporesponsive C3H/HeJ mice. In recombinant inbred mice, the genes controlling responses to LPS and to taxol were closely linked. Dexamethasone blocked release of TNF-alpha by both stimuli but did not block the decrease in TNF-alpha receptors. Thus, a protein associated with microtubules may be a cellular target of LPS.

Downregulation of tumor necrosis factor receptors on macrophages and endothelial cells by microtubule depolymerizing agents.

Exposure of murine and human macrophages and human umbilical vein endothelial cells to micromolar concentrations of five microtubule (MT)-depolymerizing agents (colchicine, nocodazole, podophyllotoxin, vincristine, and vinblastine) resulted in a loss of binding sites for iodinated TNF-alpha. The reduction amounted to 40-60% by 1 h and approximately 75% by 2-4 h. In 1 h, specific binding was reduced 50% by 0.1-5 microM of these drugs at 37 degrees C, but not at 4 degrees C. Inactive isomers of colchicine were ineffective, as were microfilament-destabilizing cytochalasins. The active agents did not compete with TNF-alpha R for binding. Antiserum against TNF-alpha did not neutralize the effect of colchicine and nocodazole. PGE1 and dibutyryl-cAMP could not mimic, and cyclooxygenase inhibitors could not prevent the drug effects. All the binding sites were regenerated within 3 h after removal of nocodazole, which binds tubulin reversibly, whereas little recovery was found even 18 h after the removal of colchicine, which binds tubulin irreversibly. These findings suggested that MT disassembly was responsible for the observed downregulation of TNF-alpha R. The protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide inhibited binding of TNF-alpha to a similar extent and with a similar time course as colchicine in the absence of added ligand. Neither drug affected binding of IFN-gamma to macrophages, nor binding of TNF-alpha to human polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Thus, an intact MT network appears to be important in maintenance of the steady state of TNF-alpha R on those cells in which TNF-alpha R turns over rapidly in the absence of ligand. The antiinflammatory actions of MT-depolymerizing agents may result in part from their interference with the ability of such cells to respond to TNF-alpha.

Macrophages rapidly internalize their tumor necrosis factor receptors in response to bacterial lipopolysaccharide.

The effect of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on macrophage receptors for tumor necrosis factor/cachectin (TNF-R) was studied. At equilibrium, iodinated recombinant human TNF alpha (rTNF alpha) bound to 1100 +/- 200 sites/cell on macrophage-like RAW 264.7 cells with a Kd of 1.3 +/- 0.1 x 10(-9) M. Preexposure of RAW 264.7 cells to 10 ng/ml LPS for 1 h at 37 degrees C resulted in complete loss of cell surface TNF alpha binding sites. 50% loss ensued after 1 h with 0.6 ng/ml LPS, or after 15 min with 10 ng/ml LPS. Complete loss of TNF alpha binding sites occurred without change in numbers of complement receptor type 3. No decrease in TNF-R followed preexposure to LPS at 4 degrees C, nor could LPS displace 125I-rTNF alpha from its binding sites. Although TNF-R disappeared from the surface of intact macrophages following exposure to LPS, specific TNF alpha binding sites were unchanged in permeabilized macrophages, indicating that TNF-R were rapidly internalized. Conditioned media from LPS-treated RAW 264.7 cells induced 30% down-regulation of TNF-R on macrophages from LPS-hyporesponsive mice (C3H/HeJ), suggesting that a soluble macrophage product may be responsible for a minor portion of the LPS effect. Additional evidence against endogenous TNF alpha being the major cause of TNF-R internalization was the rapid onset of the effect of LPS on TNF-R compared to the reported onset of TNF alpha production, the relatively high concentrations of exogenous rTNF alpha required to mimic the effect of LPS, and the inability of TNF alpha-neutralizing antibody to block the effect of LPS. LPS-induced down-regulation of TNF-R was complete or nearly complete not only in RAW 264.7 cells, but also in primary macrophages of both human and murine origin, was less marked in human endothelial cells, and was absent in human granulocytes and melanoma cells and mouse L929 cells. Thus, in situ, macrophages and some other host cells may be resistant to the actions of TNF alpha produced during endotoxinemia, because such cells may internalize their TNF-R in response to LPS before TNF alpha is produced.

The measurement of cytochrome b559 in polymorphonuclear leukocytes and macrophages in the presence of hemoglobin or mitochondrial cytochromes.

A cyanide-insensitive b-type cytochrome (cytochrome b559) is involved in the respiratory burst of phagocytes. Spectroscopic measurement of its content in polymorphonuclear leukocytes or macrophages is complicated by signals arising from contaminating Hb or mitochondrial cytochromes upon reduction by dithionite. These interferences can be overcome by reducing the sample with dithionite, aerating it, and reducing it a second time with dithionite, in the presence of 10 microM cyanide. Cyanide suppresses the response of the interfering proteins to the second dithionite reduction. This modified method allows an accurate determination of the content of cytochrome b559 using smaller numbers of cells than previously feasible.

Release of reactive nitrogen intermediates and reactive oxygen intermediates from mouse peritoneal macrophages. Comparison of activating cytokines and evidence for independent production.

The capacity of 12 cytokines to induce NO2- or H2O2 release from murine peritoneal macrophages was tested by using resident macrophages, or macrophages elicited with periodate, casein, or thioglycollate broth. Elevated H2O2 release in response to PMA was observed in resident macrophages after a 48-h incubation with IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha, TNF-beta, or CSF-GM. Of these, only IFN-gamma induced substantial NO2- secretion during the culture period. The cytokines inactive in both assays under the conditions tested were IL-1 beta, IL-2, IL-3, IL-4, IFN-alpha, IFN-beta, CSF-M, and transforming growth factor-beta 1. Incubation of macrophages with IFN-gamma for 48 h in the presence of LPS inhibited H2O2 production but augmented NO2- release, whereas incubation in the presence of the arginine analog NG-monomethylarginine inhibited NO2- release but not H2O2 production. Although neither TNF-alpha nor TNF-beta induced NO2- synthesis on its own, addition of either cytokine together with IFN-gamma increased macrophage NO2- production up to six-fold over that in macrophages treated with IFN-gamma alone. Moreover, IFN-alpha or IFN-beta in combination with LPS could also induce NO2- production in macrophages, as was previously reported for IFN-gamma plus LPS. These data suggest that: 1) tested as a sole agent, IFN-gamma was the only one of the 12 cytokines capable of inducing both NO2- and H2O2 release; 2) the pathways leading to secretion of H2O2 and NO2- are independent; 3) either IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha/beta or IFN-alpha/beta/gamma and LPS can interact synergistically to induce NO2- release.

Trace levels of bacterial lipopolysaccharide prevent interferon-gamma or tumor necrosis factor-alpha from enhancing mouse peritoneal macrophage respiratory burst capacity.

Preexposure of resident mouse peritoneal macrophages for 1 hr to traces of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (less than or equal to 1 ng/ml) rendered the cells refractory to activation by recombinant interferon-gamma (rIFN gamma) or recombinant tumor necrosis factor-alpha (rTNF alpha), as evaluated by release of H2O2 upon stimulation with phorbol myristate acetate. Inhibition persisted for at least 4 days. Fifty percent inhibition of activation mediated by rIFN gamma followed 1 hr exposure to 10 pg/ml LPS. Fifty percent inhibition of activation mediated by rTNF alpha was achieved with 1 hr exposure to 1 pg/ml LPS. Such low levels LPS exposures (concentration X time) are far below those reported for many other actions of LPS on host cells. Inhibition was partially prevented by the cyclooxygenase inhibitors indomethacin, ibuprofen, and acetylsalicylic acid. Exogenous prostaglandins PGE1 and PGE2, and the 3',5'-cyclic adenosine monophosphate analog dibutyryl cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), mimicked the inhibitory effect of LPS in a dose-dependent manner, consistent with the hypothesis that formation of endogenous cyclooxygenase products in response to LPS may elevate intracellular cAMP and that the latter may mediate the observed inhibition. In addition, neutralizing antibody against IFN alpha and IFN beta selectively prevented LPS inhibition of activation mediated by rIFN gamma, but not by rTNF alpha. This suggests that IFN alpha and/or IFN beta induced by LPS also contributed to inhibition of activation by rIFN gamma. Thus, release of LPS may afford microorganisms a means by which to interfere with immunologically mediated enhancement of the respiratory burst-dependent antimicrobial capacity of macrophages.

Monoclonal antibodies that distinguish between class II antigens (HLA-DP, DQ, and DR) in 14 haplotypes.

The specificity of three commonly used monoclonal antibodies (MoAbs) reacting with human class II histocompatibility antigens, was analyzed to determine whether these MoAbs would distinguish between HLA-DP, DQ, and DR in a large number of haplotypes. The reactivity of these MoAbs (L243, Anti-Leu 10, and B7/21) was compared by serial immunoprecipitation of class II antigens from 11 B-cell lines. The cell lines examined expressed a total of five DP, three DQ, and nine DR types, which together represent most of the well-defined class II specificities. This is the first demonstration that one of these antibodies, B7/21. binds to at least five DP specificities, and does not bind to DR or DQ molecules as defined by reactivity with the two other MoAbs. Within the scope of these experiments, the B7/21 antibody was shown to react with a monomorphic DP determinant. A variant clone of the B7/21 hybridoma was isolated that secretes IgG1 antibody with the same specificity as the original IgG3 antibody. The two other antibodies studied have been previously shown to react with DR molecules (L243) or DQ molecules (Anti-Leu 10). Here, their lack of cross-reaction with DP molecules is demonstrated. Thus, each of the three MoAbs reacts exclusively with a distinct class II molecule in all haplotypes studied, and therefore should be useful for comparing the independent expression and function of DP, DQ, and DR molecules.

Enhancement by interferon of chicken splenocyte natural killer cell activity against Marek's disease tumor cells.

A non-immune natural killer-type cell population (NK) from 6-to 12-week old chickens was able to kill MSB-1 Marek's disease (MD) tumor cells in vitro; as measured by the 51Cr-release cytotoxicity assay. Removal of T cells, B cells, adherent cells, or any combination of the three populations of cells did not result in diminished levels of cytotoxicity of the remaining spleen cells against MSB-1 cells. The cytotoxicity of chicken NK cells could be rapidly augmented by polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (poly I:C) and by the Cal 11914 strain of Newcastle disease virus (NDV), but not by the TCND strain of NDV which is not an interferon (IFN) inducer, indicating that IFN play a role in augmentation of the NK activity in chickens.

Singlet oxygen in copper-catalyzed lipid peroxidation in erythrocyte membranes.

Lipid hydroperoxide was generated in human erythrocyte membranes by irradiation with near ultraviolet (UV) light in the presence of a photosensitizer, hematoporphyrin, but no production of 2-thiobarbituric acid-reactive materials (malonaldehyde and its precursors) was detected. Incubation of the irradiated membranes with CuSO4 led to increased levels of hydroperoxide and formation of malonaldehyde. Hydroperoxides were essential for initiating the Cu(II)-catalyzed peroxidation as no significant activity was observed with nonirradiated membranes and Cu(II) unless an organic peroxide, either t-butyl hydroperoxide or cumene hydroperoxide, was added. Catalytic activity was also found with Fe(II), but not with other metal ions tested. The peroxidation catalyzed with Cu(II) was partially inhibited by several singlet oxygen quenchers but was not affected by superoxide dismutase, catalase or OH radical scavengers. The possible involvement of singlet oxygen in the Cu(II)-catalyzed peroxidation reaction was further supported by a 3-fold enhancement of malonaldehyde production in D2O.