Red blood cell survival and morphology during and after intraoperative autotransfusion.

In an animal experimental model the survival of untreated red blood cells (RBC) tagged with 51Cr was compared with cells processed by an autotransfusion device separating and washing the RBC tagged with 111In. Intraoperative autotransfusion (IAT) was done by the Haemonetics Cell Saver. Additionally the morphology of human RBC was investigated in different stages of IAT by the aid of scanner electron micrographs.

Characterization of the cytolytic activity of a cloned antigen-specific T suppressor cell derived from a tolerant CBA/J mouse.

The antigen-specific T suppressor cell clone HF1 isolated from a CBA/J mouse made tolerant by low doses of bovine serum albumin has suppressive and cytolytic activity. The analysis of the latter gave the following results. Natural killer (NK)-sensitive YAC-1 (H-2a) and RBL-5 (H-2b) target cells are lysed whereas other NK targets, like EL4 (H-2b) or the human K562 cell line are resistant.

T cell lines and variant subclones with differing susceptibility to tumor promoters.

The effect of tumor-promoting phorbol esters on cloned cytotoxic T cell (CTL) lines, H-2 restricted and specific for minor histocompatibility antigens, was studied. We found that two of the three CTL lines tested can be induced by 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13 acetate (TPA or PMA) to synthesize DNA. One of the lines did not respond.

Variability of the topography of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptors in the plasma membrane of cultured human skin fibroblasts as revealed by gold-LDL conjugates in conjunction with the surface replication technique.

In this investigation the membrane-perturbing effect of filipin, a polyene antibiotic which reacts specifically with cholesterol or cholesterol-like compounds in cell membranes, has been exploited to study the distribution of coated pits in cultured human skin fibroblasts. The coated pits, showing no filipin-cholesterol complexes, occurred singly or in clusters without apparent localization of either type to a particular region of the fibroblast membrane. Colloidal gold, conjugated to low-density lipoprotein, has proven to be an excellent marker, allowing the localization of low-density lipoprotein receptors on the surface of cultured cells.

Kidney tubule cell injury of male rats after estrogen treatment.

Ultrastructural changes in the tubular epithelium of the rat kidney following a large dose of estrogen (300 micrograms per week for 20 weeks) were studied by means of electron microscopy. The ultrastructural changes in estrogen-treated rats were confined to the proximal tubule. The changes consisted of intracytoplasmic vacuoles and dilatation of the intracellular space between adjacent tubule cells.