In vitro antiviral activity of a saponin from Anagallis arvensis, Primulaceae, against herpes simplex virus and poliovirus.

The antiviral activity of a triterpene saponin isolated from Anagallis arvensis, Primulaceae, was studied in vitro against several viruses including herpes simplex type 1, adenovirus type 6, vaccinia, vesicular stomatitis and poliovirus. The drug was found to inhibit the replication of herpes simplex virus type 1 and poliovirus type 2 as shown by inhibition of cytopathic effect and reduction of virus production. The action was not due to a virucidal effect but might involve inhibition of virus-host cell attachment. Single cycle experiments indicated that saponin interfered with both early and late events of herpes virus replication.

Decrease in natural killer cell activity in kidney allograft recipients.

The natural killer cell activity (NKCA) of a population of 66 functioning kidney allograft recipients (followed up for over 9 years) was assessed on K562 and DORA cell line targets. The 51Cr specific release test showed a rapid, sharp decrease in NKCA as early as 3 months after grafting, reaching a minimal level between 7 and 60 months (5 +/- 5 vs. 45 +/- 19% 51Cr release; P less than 0.001). Patients showing an almost total lack of NKCA were roughly the same whether assessed on K562 or DORA targets. NKCA tended to be restored in long-term transplanted patients (greater than 61 months). Control populations, aside from 32 healthy individuals, consisted of 11 haemodialysed patients as well as patients submitted to corticosteroid therapy for more than one year (8 cases of giant cell arteritis and 4 chronic asthmas). Haemodialysed patients exhibited normal NKCA (whether previously grafted or not). Corticosteroid-treated patients showed either no significant modification (K562 target) or a borderline decrease (DORA target) in NKCA. Azathioprine or corticosteroid dosage intake on the day of the test did not influence the level of graft recipient NKCA. The natural cytotoxicity of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) from recipients lacking in activity (less than 5% 51Cr release) was not restored by exogenous (type alpha) interferon. and PBL of recipients with low NKCA scores produced normal levels of purified interferon after 24-h Sendai virus exposure. No inhibitory effects of sera obtained from recipients lacking NKCA nor any active suppressor cells from their PBL could be evidenced, thus suggesting an actual loss of natural killer progenitors (or an "insensitivity" to interferon) in those patients. Corticosteroids, as opposed to azathioprine, were able to decrease the in vitro NKCA of healthy donor PBL at pharmacological concentrations.

[One case of severe tracheobronchopathy with immune depression : herpetic disease?]. / Un cas de trachéobronchopathie grave avec immunodépression : maladie herpétique?

The authors report a case of severe obliterating laryngo-tracheo-bronchitis without any evident etiology in a young patient with depressed immunity. A herpetic virus was isolated by distal bronchial brushing and by larynx biopsy. The level of specific antibodies rose significantly. These facts together with the clinical history and unsuccessful microbiological searches, suggest the herpetic nature of this affection, albeit exceptional. At this opportunity, a review of the literature is presented showing the imprecision of diagnostic criteria in this field of pathology.

An electron microscopy study of vitally stained single cells irradiated with a ruby laser microbeam.

An electron microscope study has been made of vitally stained single cells whose cytoplasm has been subjected to a localized ruby laser microbeam. Light and moderate laser absorption (the resultant of stain concentration and laser energy density) produced restricted selective damage of mitochondria in cells stained with Janus green B; heavy laser absorption resulted in mitochondrial damage, as well as in nonselective interaction with other cell structures. With four other basic vital stains, the polysomes, ergastoplasm, mitochondria and other organelles at the irradiated site were uniformly damaged. Unstained cells showed no morphological alterations. With light primary damage (that restricted to the irradiation site), no secondary effects of the incident radiation were observed. With moderate primary damage, however, secondary damage of the mitochondria in the unirradiated cell portions was produced, which was reversible within 4 hr after irradiation. Heavy primary lesions caused severe secondary alteration of all cell structures that was irreversible and cell death occurred within 2 hr. Surviving cells examined 24 hr after light and moderate irradiation could not be distinguished from unirradiated controls. The possible mechanisms involved in the production of laser-induced cellular alterations are discussed.