Structural analysis of phospho-D-mannan-protein complexes isolated from yeast and mold form cells of Candida albicans NIH A-207 serotype A strain.

The immunochemical properties between phospho-D-mannan-protein complexes of yeast (Y) and mycelial (M) forms of Candida albicans NIH A-207 (serotype A) strain were compared. Hydrolysis of the Y-form complex gave a mixture of beta-(1----2)-linked D-mannooligosaccharides consisting mainly of tri- and tetra-ose, whereas the M-form complex gave preponderantly D-mannose. The antiserum against Y-form cells exhibited a lower reactivity with the M-form than with the Y-form complex, whereas the antiserum to M-form cells could not distinguish significantly between both complexes.

Influence of buthionine sulfoximine on the lethality of ifosfamide and ifosfamide-induced urotoxicity in mice.

Buthionine sulfoximine (500 mg/kg, i.p.), a glutathione-depleting agent, was found to increase the acute lethal toxicity and urotoxicity induced by ifosfamide in mice.

A new class opioid peptide, [D-Arg2, beta-Ala4]-dermorphin tetrapeptide; physical dependence liability in mice.

Development of morphine-like physical dependence of the [D-Arg2, beta-Ala4]-dermorphin tetrapeptide (H-Tyr-D-Arg-Phe-beta-Ala-OH) has been evaluated and compared with the physical dependence liability of morphine or pentazocine. Degree of the physical dependence was assessed by the naloxone-precipitated jumping behaviour in mice after treatment of a single dose of each compound. The number of jumps and the time of latency to first jump were recorded in this experiment.

Inhibition of ifosfamide-induced urotoxicity by disulfiram in mice.

The effect of disulfiram on the urotoxicity induced by ifosfamide was studied in mice. Ifosfamide administered intraperitoneally to mice caused a dose-related increase in bladder weight within 48 hr of treatment. Disulfiram prevented ifosfamide-induced bladder damage when administered orally within 1 hr of ifosfamide treatment.

Involvement of transferrin in the uptake of 67Ga in inflammatory and normal tissues.

The results from gel chromatography and electrophoresis showed that 67Ga is exclusively bound with transferrin both in vitro and in vivo, but high concentrations of sodium citrate strongly inhibited the binding of 67Ga to transferrin. The influence of sodium citrate on the uptake of 67Ga into inflammatory and normal soft tissues was also investigated. Sodium citrate decreased the uptake of 67Ga into the liver and spleen, but had no influence on the uptake of 67Ga into inflammatory tissue.

Influence of transglutaminase on the functions of mouse peritoneal macrophages.

Influence of transglutaminase on the production of interleukin-1 (IL-1) and on the release of active oxygen from mouse peritoneal macrophages was examined using cystamine and methylamine, an enzyme inhibitor and a substrate inhibitor, respectively. Casein-elicited or lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-elicited macrophages have higher levels of transglutaminase activity in comparison with resident macrophages, and there exists a definite correlation between endocytosis of erythrocytes and transglutaminase activity in either group of macrophages. The release of IL-1 by resident macrophages stimulated with LPS in vitro was significantly inhibited by the treatment with both transglutaminase inhibitors.

Effect of calcium ion on lipid peroxide formation in endotoxemic mice.

The present study was conducted to determine the possible role of intracellular Ca2+ in lipid peroxide formation in endotoxin-poisoned mice. Leakages of LDH isozyme and acid phosphatase in serum of mice fed a Ca2+-deficient diet were remarkably increased after administration of 200 micrograms of endotoxin compared to that in endotoxin-nontreated Ca2+-deficient mice. Superoxide anion generation in liver of Ca2+-deficient mice and in mice fed a normal diet greatly increased after endotoxin administration.

Protective effect of N-acetyl chitohexaose on Listeria monocytogenes infection in mice.

A water-soluble oligosaccharide, N-acetyl chitohexaose (NACOS-6) was able to enhance the protecting effect of BALB/c male mice against Listeria monocytogenes infection, when administered intraperitoneally 24 hr before the challenge with this microbe. Significant decrease in number of microbes within the peritoneal cavity, spleen, and liver from the mice of NACOS-6-administered group was not observed 1 day after the infection but 4 days after the infection. Administration of NACOS-6 enhanced the delayed-type hypersensitivity response against sheep red blood cells (SRBC) or heat-killed L.

Antitumor effect of a baker's yeast mannan-mitomycin C conjugate against mouse hepatoma, MH134, in vivo and in vitro.

A conjugate of mitomycin C and the mannan of bakers' yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae wild type strain) was synthesized. Assay of its growth inhibitory effect on MH134 hepatoma solid tumor implanted in C3H/He slc mice showed that this conjugate exhibited a higher growth-inhibition ratio than those of free mitomycin C and the same bakers' yeast mannan in the corresponding effective doses. This conjugate was also found to kill the same hepatoma cells in vitro.

Substance P(1-7) antagonizes substance P-induced aversive behaviour in mice.

Substance P (SP) and its fragments were administered intrathecally into awake mice. SP and C-terminal fragments caused dose-dependent reciprocal hindlimb scratching responses. SP(5-11) was more potent than SP not only in inducing scratching response but also in inducing aversive behaviour including licking and biting.

Quantitative precipitin reaction and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay of mannans of Candida albicans NIH A-207 and NIH B-792 strains compared.

We assessed the difference between results by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (EIA) in plastic support wells and the quantitative precipitin reaction (QPR) in glass test tubes for antigenic mannans and antibodies of two representative Candida albicans strains, NIH A-207 and NIH B-792. We investigated each of four mannan subfractions, with different phosphate contents, for their reactivities to the homologous polyclonal rabbit antiserum. Each series of mannan subfractions showed a reactivity proportional to their phosphate content in EIA, in a similar manner as observed in QPR.

The effect of FeCl3 on the accumulation of gallium-67 into inflammatory and normal tissues.

The effect of FeCl3 on the uptake of 67Ga by inflammatory and normal tissues was studied to clarify the role of transferrin in 67Ga uptake by inflammatory tissue. The administration of FeCl3 5 min before the injection of 67Ga decreased the uptake of 67Ga by liver and spleen, but had little effect on the uptake of 67Ga by the inflammatory tissue. These results suggest that 67Ga is taken up by normal tissues in a transferrin-bound form but in an unbound form by inflammatory tissue.

Effect of buthionine sulfoximine, an inhibitor of glutathione biosynthesis, on the selenium-induced lethality in mice.

The effect of buthionine sulfoximine (BSO), an inhibitor of glutathione (GSH) biosynthesis, on the selenium induced-lethality was examined in mice. A single injection of BSO (500 mg/kg, i.p.

Comparison of the antinociceptive effects of new [D-Arg2]-dermorphin tetrapeptide analogs and morphine in mice.

The antinociceptive effects of synthetic dermorphin tetrapeptide analogs containing D-Arg in position 2, H-Tyr-D-Arg-Phe-Gly-NH2 and H-Tyr-D-Arg-Phe-beta-Ala-OH, were measured in mice by the tail-pressure test. The antinociceptive effect produced by intracerebroventricular (ICV), intrathecal (IT) and subcutaneous (SC) administration of either peptide was greater than that produced by morphine. Oral (PO) administration of the peptides showed approximately the same antinociceptive potency as morphine.

Influence of arachidonate metabolism on enhancement of intracellular transglutaminase activity in mouse peritoneal macrophages.

We examined whether arachidonate metabolism exerted any influence on the enhancement of intracellular transglutaminase activity in mouse peritoneal macrophages. Enhancement of the intracellular transglutaminase activity was observed on stimulation of macrophages with normal sheep red blood cells (SRBC) or immunoglobulin G (IgG)-coated SRBC, and was inhibited by inhibitors of phospholipase A2 and cyclooxygenase. Moreover, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), a main product of the cyclooxygenase pathway, leukotriene B4 (LTB4), a product of 5-lipoxygenase, and arachidonic acid also could directly induce high levels of intracellular transglutaminase activity without stimulation of macrophages by SRBC or IgG-coated SRBC, but leukotriene C4, prostaglandin D2, and prostacyclin were unable to induce high activity of the enzyme.

Antinociception and physical dependence produced by [D-Arg2] dermorphin tetrapeptide analogues and morphine in rats.

1. The antinociceptive effects of [D-Arg2] dermorphin tetrapeptide analogues, H-Tyr-D-Arg-Phe-Gly-NH2 and H-Tyr-D-Arg-Phe-beta-Ala-OH when administered subcutaneously (s.c.

Production of leukotrienes from mouse peritoneal macrophages by treatment with a neutral subfraction of bakers' yeast mannan.

We concluded that a neutral subfraction of mannan from bakers' yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae wild type strain), abbreviated as WNM, was able to induce the release of leukotrienes from mouse peritoneal macrophages (M phi). The culture supernatant fluid of M phi from normal mice cultured with WNM caused a marked contraction of guinea pig ileum. This activity was inhibited by pretreatment of M phi with inhibitor of phospholipase A2 or lipoxygenase before M phi were treated with WNM, and by treatment of the incubation bath with a slow reacting substance antagonist, FPL55712.

Reduction of cyclophosphamide-induced toxicity by diethyldithiocarbamate and carbon disulfide and its possible mechanism.

The mechanism of reduction in cyclophosphamide (CPA)-induced toxicity by diethyldithiocarbamate (DTC) and carbon disulfide (CS2) was examined in relation to CPA metabolism in mice. Pretreatment with DTC (100 mg/kg) or CS2 (50 mg/kg), p.o.

Preparation of monoclonal antibodies reactive with beta-1,2-linked oligomannosyl residues in the phosphomannan-protein complex of Candida albicans NIH B-792 strain.

Hybridomas obtained by fusing the spleen cells of BALB/c female mice hyperimmunized with heat-killed yeast-form cells of Candida albicans NIH B-792 strain and a mouse myeloma cell line, P3X63Ag8.653, produced antibodies to beta-1,2-linked oligomannosyl residues in the phosphomannan-protein complex of the parent cells. Most of these monoclonal antibodies were IgM, but about 10% of the hybridomas produced IgG1 immunoglobulins.

Enkephalins interact with substance P-induced aversive behaviour in mice.

The effect of the endogenous opioid peptides, methionine-enkephalin (Met-ENK), beta-endorphin (beta-END) and dynorphin-(1-17) (DYN) on the aversive behavior produced by intrathecal (i.t.) administration of substance P (SP) was studied in mice.

Kinetic studies of inhibition of estradiol 2- and 16 alpha-hydroxylases in rat liver microsomes with various cytochrome P-450 inhibitors.

Kinetic studies of inhibition of estradiol 2- and 16 alpha-hydroxylase activities in male rat liver microsomes with cytochrome P-450 inhibitors, alpha-naphthoflavone, DL-aminoglutethimide, SKF-525A and metyrapone, were extensively carried out. All of the inhibitors competitively blocked the two enzyme activities. The former three inhibitors preferentially inhibited the 16 alpha-hydroxylase activity while the reverse result was obtained in the case of metyrapone, and SKF-525A was the most potent inhibitors for the two enzyme among the four inhibitors.

Antitumor activity of polygalactosamine isolated from Paecilomyces sp. I-1 strain.

The inhibitory effect of polygalactosamine (PF102), which was isolated from Paecilomyces sp. I-1 strain, on a syngeneic murine solid tumor and its antitumor mechanism were studied. After an intravenous injection of PF102, 1 microgram/kg, an increase in cell mediated and humoral immunities in mice was observed and the growth inhibition of MM46 solid tumor in vivo was also evident.

[Effect of cysteamine on vocalization responses by arterial algogenics in guinea pigs].

Effects of cysteamine (2-mercaptoethylamine) on vocalization responses, a parameter of nociceptive response, was studied in conscious guinea pigs. Intra-arterial injection of bradykinin (3 micrograms), acetylcholine (300 micrograms), capsaicin (3 micrograms) and vanillyl n-nonoylamide (3 micrograms, VNA) induced severe vocalization responses. Three hours after an administration of cysteamine (300 mg/kg, s.

Chemotactic response of human neutrophils to N-acetyl chitohexaose in vitro.

N-Acetyl chitohexaose (NACOS-6) was able to display chemotactic response of human neutrophils in vitro. In order to analyze the mechanism, a series of chemotaxis studies by means of neutrophils treated with inhibitors of phospholipase A2, cyclooxygenase, or lipoxygenase to NACOS-6 was conducted. The treatment of neutrophils with inhibitors of phospholipase A2 or cyclooxygenase resulted in decrease of number of migrated cells.