beta-Endorphin as One of Important Integral Parts of Tactivin.

The discovery of opioid ligand, beta-endorphin (betaEPh), in tactivin widens our knowledge about peptides synthesized by the thymus and allows to study new aspects of integration of the principal elements of immune and nervous systems within the integral immunoneuroendocrine network. Various produced lots of tactivin contain from 2 to 5 pM/l of betaEPh which provides a number of properties of this preparation. betaEPh is an important integral part of tactivin, as the action of tactivin "purified" of betaEPh truly differs from the effects of the total preparation: both in the norm (57 healthy children) and in pathology (30 patients with pyelonephritis), these preparations acted in vitro in different ways on lymphocytes with phenotypes CD3(+), CD4(+), CD8(+), CD38(+), CD22(+).

Modulation of Immune Response of BALB/Mice Bearing Lymphoma L5178Y Treated with Bitter Yellow Juice of Aloe vera (L) in vivo.

Aloe vera (L), a plant of African origin, has been introduced in Mexico since XVIth century. It has been used in the treatment of many diseases of immune system. In the present study we investigated a specific and non-specific immune response of BALB/c mice, healthy and immunosuppressed with murine lymphoma L5178Y, treated with bitter yellow juice (extract) of Aloe vera (L).

The Secretory Activity of the Rat Thymus in vitro.

Some biochemical and biological characteristics of supernatant from rat thymic stromal cell culture were studied. Chromatography separation of the thymic stromal cell supernatant showed that the cultured cells produced secretory substances generally detected in the molecular weight range of 1-13 kDa. Stimulation of the stromal cells in culture by freshly isolated syngeneic thymocytes increased concentration of the substances of the above molecular weight range.

Contemporary Views on the Nature and Clinical Application of Thymus Preparations.

The contemporary views on the clinical application and efficiency of the most well-known peptide preparations isolated from thymus are presented in this review. Among these preparations are thymosins, thymulin, thymopoetin, thymostimulin, thymopentin, thymalin, tactivin, and others. The results of clinical trials, dosages and indications of thymus peptide preparations, their advantages and disadvantages and perspectives of their therapeutical use are discussed.