Lyme disease of the CNS: MR imaging findings in 14 cases.

The MR images of 14 patients with clinical diagnoses of Lyme disease, CNS complaints, and positive Lyme titers were reviewed. MR examinations were abnormal in 43%. Areas of abnormal signal were identified within the cerebral white matter as well as within the brainstem.

Ultrastructural changes of human amniotic cells induced by natural human interferon-alpha.

Human interferon-alpha (Hu-IFN alpha) and phorbol myristate acetate (PMA), a direct activator of protein kinase C (PK-C), induce the translocation of protein kinase C from the cytosol to the membrane fraction. By the use of transmission (TEM) and scanning (SEM) electron microscopy we have shown that treatment of human amniotic cells (UAC) with Hu-IFN alpha resulted in profound changes in the shape, volume and ultrastructure of the cells. Most treated cells had enlarged nuclei with marginal condensation of chromatin. Nucleolar segregation, disintegration and clumping of nucleolar components were also observed. The number of interdigitating cell processes decreased and the cell surface microvilli became shortened. Similar ultrastructural alterations were induced by PMA also. All these functional and morphological data strongly support the hypothesis that protein kinase C is a key factor in IFN-mediated cell reactions.

Scanning electron microscopic studies on untreated and transformed mouse embryo fibroblast cell cultures.

Cultures of CBA T6T6 mouse embryo cells were transformed by 20-methylcholanthrene (MC) treatment in vitro. Untreated and MC treated cells and reexplanted cells of tumours originating from MC treated cells were compared by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The 3 cultures showed considerable differences in the situation of the cells compared to each other, as well as in the number and shape of the surface formations.

In vitro carcinogenesis studies on mouse fibroblast cells.

Fibroblast cell lines were established from pulmonary explants derived from inbred CBA T6T6 mouse embryos. Cell lines controlled for the absence of spontaneous transformation were treated with 20=methylcholenthrene (0, 1 microgram/ml). The altered biological characteristics were studied during the process of the malignant transformation by the comparison of the untreated and 20-methylcholanthrene pretreated cell populations: the loss of contact inhibition and the connection between the malignant transformation and the arylhydrocarbon hydroxylase enzyme activity were investigated. No changes in the cell proliferation rate could be found following malignant transformation, but an increased resistance against altered circumstances was observed. In the course of passages, a gradual decreases in aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase activity of the untreated line was seen, which disappeared or significantly decreased following 20-methylcholanthrene treatment, compared to the controls.

Spontaneous and chemically-induced transformation of mouse fibroblasts in culture. Biochemical aspects of the transformed cells.

Fibroblast cultures were established from the lung tissue of CBA T6T6 mouse embryos. Lines characterized by infinite growth transformation (MFL) were used as untreated controls till the 21st and 29th passages, respectively. After that period, an unrestrained growth transformation developed spontaneously. The cell line was then designated as STMFL. At the 8th passage of an MFL, 20-methylcholanthrene (MC) treatment was performed. The treatment resulted in a cell line (MCMFL) characterized also by unrestrained growth transformation. The nuclear protein pattern obtained by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis showed differences between STFL and MCMFL. The activity of two microsomal enzymes - aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase and ethylmorphin demethylase - measured in the exponential growth stage of the cultures showed a decrease in the case of STMFL, compared to the MFL, and practically disappeared in the case of MCMFL.

Studies on in vitro carcinogenesis. I. Autoradiographic and biochemical study on the incorporation of labelled methylcholantrene into mouse embryonic cells.

The incorporation of radioactive labelled Methylcholanthrene into CBA/T6T6 mouse embryonic fibroblast cultures was studied by using light and electronmicroscopic autoradiographic and also liquid scintillation counting techniques. During 24 hrs treatment time at the applied Methylcholanthrene concentrations (0.01-2.5 mug/ml) the proportion of cells labelled with 3H-Methylcholanthrene and the number of grains above the cells showed a relationship with the duration of treatment and also with the doses. Up to 24 hrs all cells were labelled after treatment with 2.5 mug/ml whereas at 0.01 and at 0.1 mug/ml concentrations Methylcholanthrene could have been detected only 2 and 10% of the cell population resp. The presented results suggested that labelling index reached saturation level earlier than the average number of grains. Electronmicroscopic autoradiography revealed a rather even distribution of grains and there were no signs for preferential binding site of Methylcholanthrene. Biochemical separation showed that 59 and 44% of the radioactivity was bound to macromolecules at 1 and 24 hrs after commencing treatment resp.