The effect of age and dietary protein on immunity and resistance in lambs vaccinated with Trichostrongylus colubriformis.

Development of immunity and resistance to Trichostrongylus colubriformis was measured in sheep, 8-26 or 33-51 weeks of age, that were offered two levels of dietary protein (11 and 20%). Resistance to challenge infection was ascertained by measuring worm burden, faecal egg count and eggs in utero in the nematode. Development of immunity was measured by an in vitro lymphocyte blastogenesis test to T and B cell mitogens and to somatic antigen from infective (L3) larvae. Young lambs offered the low protein diet showed a significantly lower resistance to parasites than older animals. The young animals on the high protein diet developed better resistance. Age and dietary protein influenced in vitro T lymphocyte responses to parasite antigen and mitogens, which were particularly well developed in vaccinated lambs on the high protein diet. Lymphocyte responsiveness to L3 larval antigen was negatively correlated with parasite status in vaccinated older lambs, and may be important in the development of acquired resistance to T. colubriformis.

Conditioned medium from stimulated mononuclear leukocytes augments human neutrophil-mediated killing of a virulent Acanthamoeba sp.

Human neutrophils in the presence of serum containing anti-amoeba antibody either lacked amoebicidal activity or were poorly amoebicidal for Acanthamoeba culbertsoni. In contrast, neutrophils preexposed for 1 h to supernatants from human peripheral blood mononuclear leukocytes (MNLs) stimulated with phytohemagglutinin demonstrated significant amoeba killing in the presence of serum containing anti-acanthamoeba antibodies. Supernatant from MNL cultured in the absence of phytohemagglutinin were not effective in stimulating significant activity in the neutrophils. Serum containing antibody promoted the adherence of many neutrophils to one amoeba. There was no significant difference between the ability of neutrophils treated with supernatants from stimulated MNLs (stimulated conditioned medium [sCM]) and supernatants from nonstimulated MNLs (nonstimulated conditioned medium [nsCM]) in their binding to acanthamoeba. The effects of sCM on neutrophils was a general phenomenon. For example, the sCM but not the nsCM enhanced the antibody-dependent neutrophil-mediated cytotoxicity against three tumor targets (K562 erythroid myeloid leukemia cell line, B16 melanoma, and P815 (DBA/2 mastocytoma). Furthermore, the sCM but not the nsCM increased the bactericidal (against Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae) and fungicidal (against Torulopsis glabrata) activity of the neutrophil. The sCM but not the nsCM contained activities which inhibited neutrophil migration and stimulated a respiratory burst in these leukocytes. These results suggest that the neutrophil antimicrobial power can be increased by exposing the leukocytes to MNL mediators.

Atrial natriuretic factor inhibits proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells stimulated by platelet-derived growth factor.

The effect of atrial natriuretic factor (Isoleucine-ANF 101-126) on basal and platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-stimulated proliferation of rat aortic vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) was assessed by microscopy and measurement of incorporation of tritiated thymidine by cells cultured with or without addition of PDGF in the presence of various concentrations (10(-8)-10(-6) molar) of ANF. ANF had little effect on proliferation of cells grown in media supplemented with 2% fetal calf serum (FCS) alone but exhibited clear dose-related inhibition of PDGF-stimulated thymidine incorporation.

Role of myeloperoxidase in the killing of Naegleria fowleri by lymphokine-altered human neutrophils.

Previously we have shown that human neutrophils treated with conditioned medium from phytohemagglutinin-stimulated mononuclear leukocytes (sCM) in the presence of antisera have amoebicidal properties for Naegleria fowleri, a pathogenic free-living amoeba. The data now presented show that neutrophils which lack myeloperoxidase (MPO) but have a normal oxygen-dependent respiratory burst could not be altered by sCM to express the amoebicidal activity. Catalase inhibited this amoebicidal activity of sCM-treated neutrophils. Various components and products of the neutrophils were examined for effects on naegleriae. A granule extract was found to have no effect at concentrations up to 100-fold that which killed Salmonella minnesota R595. Hydrogen peroxide appeared to have little effect even at 100 microM. However, in the presence of MPO, H2O2 was amoebicidal at 2.5 microM. The generation of amoebicidal activity required the presence of chloride ions. Azide inhibited the effects of the MPO-H2O2-Cl- system. Arginine, a scavenger of hypochlorite, significantly depressed the ability of sCM-treated neutrophils to kill amoebae and also prevented the amoebicidal properties of the MPO-H2O2-halide system. These results suggest that the MPO-H2O2-halide system is important in the killing of naegleriae by sCM-treated neutrophils and that hypochlorite may be the amoebicidal agent.

Competitive peptide antagonists of ANF-induced cyclic guanosine monophosphate production.

Atrial natriuretic factor (isoleucine ANF 101-126), cleaved ANF (isoleucine ANF 101-105/106-126) and des (Gln 18, Ser 19, Gly 20, Leu 21, Gly 22) ANF 4-23-NH2 (C-ANF 4-23) stimulated cyclic guanosine monophosphate production (cGMP) by rat aortic vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) in culture. Cleaved ANF and ANF C4-23 also antagonised or diminished the response to ANF 101-126. Agonist and antagonist actions of both peptides were dose-related. In contrast, prepro ANF (104-123), an ANF precursor fragment, exhibited no agonist or antagonist effect on cGMP production.

Endothelin-induced changes in intracellular calcium concentration in rat vascular smooth muscle cells: effects of extracellular calcium and atrial natriuretic factor.

The purpose of this study was to examine whether different mechanisms might underlie the changes in intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca2+]i) stimulated by high and low concentrations of endothelin, and whether atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) has an inhibitory effect on endothelin-induced [Ca2+]i changes in cultured rat vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). In calcium-replete buffer, cultured monolayers of rat VSMCs superfused with endothelin at a high concentration (10 nM) exhibited a marked transient rise in [Ca2+]i, followed by a sustained elevation, whereas a low concentration of endothelin (0.1 nM) induced a sustained monophasic elevation. When calcium-free buffer was used, 10 nM endothelin induced a transient rise in [Ca2+]i of lesser amplitude, whereas 0.1 nM endothelin did not produce a significant rise. Pretreatment of VSMCs with ANF and cosuperfusion with endothelin failed to inhibit either transient or sustained endothelin-induced changes in [Ca2+]i in calcium-replete buffer.