Intracellular distribution of (14C)bleomycin and the cytokinetic effects of bleomycin in the mouse tumor.

The differential effects (BLM) on cycling and noncycling cells were investigated with a mouse ascites tumor in vivo. An i.p. injection of 37.0 or 111.1 mug BLM per g caused a decrease in tumor cell number but an increase in percentage of tumor cells in mitosis. There are no significant differences between the percentage labeled mitoses at various times after pulse labeling by tritiated thymidine of BLM-treated tumor cells and by that of an untreated control, except that the height of the second peak was significantly lower in the treated cells. Hence BLM may be cell cycle nonspecific, and the BLM-induced decrease in cell number, i.p., may stimulate some nondividing cells to reenter the division cycle. However, the fact that percentage of cells in mitosis versus time after the administration of BLM showed two peaks indicates the possibility that another cause of the increase in mitotic figures might be a relative increase of cycling cells due to higher sensitivity of noncycling cells to the agent. Autoradiographic studies on the intracellular distribution of [14C]BLM revealed the following. (a) There were few necrotic cells in mitosis that incorporated much [14C]BLM into the cytoplasm at each time point and the mitotic figures gradually increased with time after i.p. injection of the isotope, while necrotic cells other than in mitosis, most of which were heavily labeled, increased in number with time. These findings seem to be related to the possibility that cycling cells may be less sensitive to BLM. The mode of intracellular distribution of [14C]BLM in mitotic cells changed with time and appeared to reflect the drug susceptibility depending on the cell cycle phase when labeled.

Sister chromatid exchanges in lymphocytes of cancer patients receiving mitomycin C treatment.

Peripheral lymphocytes from cancer patients receiving mitomycin C treatment were examined for cytogenetic effects. The treatment consisted of i.v. injections of mitomycin C at a dose of 4 mg given twice a week for 2 weeks. The lymphocytes were cultured in vitro for 72 hr with phytohemagglutinin and 5-bromodeoxyuridine, and then sister chromatid exchanges were scored. Before treatment with mitomycin C, the frequencies of sister chromatid exchanges in lymphocytes of cancer patients were similar to those of healthy controls. After the first and second treatments in vivo with mitomycin C, the frequencies of sister chromatid exchnages increased with time, reached a peak in about 24 hr, and then returned to the pretreatment level in about 48 hr, in contrast to the case of in vitro exposure to mitomycin C. After the third and fourth injections, however, the frequency increased further and did not return to the original level. The significance of the specific kinetics of change in the sister chromatid exchnage frequency after in vivo treatments is discussed in relation to cancer chemotherapy.

Immunochemical differences among carcinoembryonic antigen in tumor tissues and related antigens in meconium and adult feces.

We have isolated carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA)-related antigens from meconium and compared them with those in adult feces. Two CEA-related antigens were detected in meconium [nonspecific cross-reacting antigen 2 (NCA-2) and meconium nonspecific cross-reacting antigen] while four CEA-related antigens were found in adult feces [normal fecal antigen 1, normal fecal antigen 2 (NFA-2), normal fecal cross-reacting antigen, and fecal nonspecific cross-reacting antigen, respectively]. By conventional anti-CEA antisera, NCA-2 in meconium, NFA-2 in adult feces, and CEA in tumor tissues were indistinguishable from each other, but they could be distinguished by specific antibody preparations against a determinant unique to CEA (CEA-distinctive determinant) or to NFA-2 (NFA-2-distinctive determinant). Neither the CEA-distinctive determinant nor the NFA-2-distinctive determinant was detected on the NCA-2 molecule. No antigenic determinants unique to NCA-2 have been detected with the anti-NCA-2 antisera which we have prepared thus far. The molecular weight of purified NCA-2 was estimated to be 150,000 to 170,000 as compared to 160,000 to 170,000 for NFA-2 and 170,000 to 180,000 for CEA. NCA-2 had amino acid and carbohydrate compositions similar to those of CEA and NFA-2. All NFA-2 preparations and about one-half of the CEA preparations were sensitive to Pronase E digestion, which released two antigen fragments from these molecules, but NCA-2-preparations were resistant to such digestion.

Involvement of platelet membrane glycoprotein Ib and glycoprotein IIb/IIIa complex in thrombin-dependent and -independent platelet aggregations induced by tumor cells.

Involvement of platelet membrane glycoproteins (GP) in interactions between platelets and tumor cells was studied by using two human tumor cell lines and two monoclonal antibodies against platelet membrane GP. HMV-I cells derived from vaginal melanoma induced platelet aggregation in heparinized plasma, which was not followed by coagulation. M7609 cells derived from colon adenocarcinoma also induced platelet aggregation in heparinized plasma, which, on the contrary, was followed by coagulation. Aggregating activities of the HMV-I cells were abolished by pretreatment with neuraminidase or trypsin, but M7609 activity was not labile to these enzymes. Aggregations induced by M7609 were inhibited by hirudin or MD805, while those by HMV-I were not. M7609 cells dose dependently shortened the recalcification time of normal as well as Factor IX-deficient plasmas, while they were not effective in shortening the time of Factor II- or Factor VII-deficient plasmas. The procoagulant activity of HMV-I cells was 1000 times less than M7609 on the basis of cell numbers. When human platelets were preincubated with monoclonal anti-GPIb or anti-GPIIb/IIIa complex antibodies, neither cell line could cause aggregations. These findings suggest that both GPIb and the GPIIb/IIIa complex on the platelet surface are involved in the thrombin-dependent and -independent platelet aggregations induced by tumor cells.

Purification and immunological characterization of human pancreatic ribonuclease.

Three alkaline RNases were purified from human pancreatic juice to near homogeneity as judged by sodium dodecyl sulfate and native polyacrylamide gel electrophoreses. The molecular weights of these RNases determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate electrophoresis were 27,000, 19,000, and 13,000. The activities of these three RNases were increased by addition of Mg2+, Ca2+, Co2+, K+, Na+, spermine, and spermidine and decreased by the addition of heparin, Cu2+, and Zn2+. These RNases showed higher hydrolytic activity toward polycytidylic acid than toward polyguanylic acid, polyuridylic acid, or polyadenylic acid. The three human pancreatic RNases were immunologically identical but differed from human liver RNase, as shown by Ouchterlony double-diffusion test. Radioimmunoassay of human pancreatic RNase showed that immunologically similar RNases are present in human saliva, and serum.

Radioimmunoassay for human pancreatic ribonuclease and measurement of serum immunoreactive pancreatic ribonuclease in patients with malignant tumors.

A method for radioimmunoassay of human pancreatic RNase was developed. The method is sensitive, reproducible, and specific. Almost no cross-reactivity exists between human pancreatic and liver RNases. A good correlation was observed between the serum concentration of pancreatic RNase as measured by radioimmunoassay and its enzymatic activity using polycytidylic acid as substrate. The concentration of serum pancreatic RNase correlates well with age, blood urea nitrogen, and albumin contents but does not correlate with serum amylase activity. Using the data of 52 patients with malignant tumors except pancreatic cancer, serum RNase level could be expressed by a multiple regression equation: Immunoreactive RNase content in pancreatic cancer was elevated in patients with complications from renal failure. Serum pancreatic RNase contents in patients with pancreatic cancer measured by radioimmunoassay agreed well with the values calculated using the equation derived from the data of patients with other malignant tumors.

A novel method of isolation and some characteristic properties of human pancreatic elastases.

One component of elastases of human pancreatic juice and pancreatic extract was obtained in a highly purified state by chromatography on a column of sawdust. The elastase obtained after repeated adsorption chromatography with NaCl-containing buffers was almost homogeneous by gel filtration and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. This elastase showed relatively high elastolytic activity, but relatively low hydrolytic activity towards succinyl trialanine p-nitroanilide, as compared with another component of pancreatic juice elastase (which was not absorbed onto sawdust). Both elastases isolated were alkaline earth metal-dependent enzymes.

Epitope mapping of the carcinoembryonic antigen with various related recombinant proteins expressed in Chinese hamster ovary cells and 25 distinct monoclonal antibodies.

Antigenic epitopes of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and non-specific cross-reacting antigen (NCA) were analysed in relation to their domain structures [domains N, I (A1-B1), II (A2-B2), III (A3-B3) and M for CEA and domains N, I (A1-B1), and M for NCA]. We reconstructed cDNAs for CEA-N, CEA-N-I, CEA-N-I-II, CEA-N-I-II-III-M (CEA-whole), NCA-N, NCA-N-I and NCA-N-I-M (NCA-whole), which were expressed in Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells. The recombinant proteins were purified by immunoadsorption and gel filtration. Their mol. wts judged from Western blotting were 17,000-26,000 for CEA-N, 70,000 for CEA-N-I, 150,000 for CEA-N-I-II, 165,000 for s-CEA-whole which was spontaneously released from cells into culture medium, 180,000 for p-CEA-whole which was solubilized with phosphatidylinositol specific phospholipase C (PI-PLC) from cells, 18,000-25,000 for NCA-N, 63,000 for NCA-N-I, and 96,000 for p-NCA-whole which was solubilized with PI-PLC from cells. The divergence of the observed mol. wts from those calculated from cDNA sequences seems to indicate that these recombinant proteins are highly N-glycosylated. By enzyme immunoassays, the immunoreactivities of the purified recombinant proteins were tested with 25 distinct anti-CEA monoclonal antibodies (MAbs), each representative of 25 different subgroups within five groups (Groups 1-5) previously classified by us in terms of the reactivity with CEA and CEA-related antigens. Twenty-one MAbs previously shown to react with different protein epitopes of the CEA molecule allow to define six groups (A-F) of epitopes according to their expression by different domains of the CEA and NCA molecules. Among four epitopes common to CEA and NCA, two were found to be present on domain N (Group A) and two on domain I (Group B). Among 15 epitopes absent from NCA but expressed by CEA and normal fecal antigens (NFAs), four were on domain N (Group C), five on domain I (Group D) and six on domain II (Group E). Two epitopes were previously described as "CEA distinctive", because they were recognized by MAbs reacting with CEA but not with the NFAs. These two epitopes (Group F) were found to be expressed by p-CEA-whole but not by s-CEA-whole. The latter results suggest that the Group F epitopes are located on a part of the domain III close to the anchoring device of the CEA molecule.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Production of salivary type alpha-amylase in human lung cancer.

alpha-Amylase, which is produced by lung cancer tissue, was studied by cloning cDNAs from a cell line originating from lung cancer that produces amylase. Sequencing studies with this cDNA showed that the expressing gene is of the salivary type. The specific location of the start point of transcription, as revealed by S1 mapping, supported this conclusion.

Complete amino acid sequence of the large subunit of the low-Ca2+-requiring form of human Ca2+-activated neutral protease (muCANP) deduced from its cDNA sequence.

The complete amino acid sequence of the large subunit (catalytic subunit) of human low-Ca2+-requiring-calcium-activated neutral protease (muCANP) was deduced from its cDNA base sequence. It is composed of 714 amino acid residues and its sequence is highly homologous to the chicken CANP sequence determined previously. Human muCANP, like chicken CANP, has a clear 4-domain structure, and their fundamental structures are essentially the same, although their Ca2+ sensitivities are significantly different. The role of each domain in the Ca2+ sensitivity and protease activity of CANP is discussed on the basis of sequence comparison.

Effect of CGS 16949A plus tamoxifen on induced mammary tumours in rats.

The antitumour effect of CGS 16949A, an aromatase inhibitor, was investigated in rats with mammary tumours induced by 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene. A dose-dependent antitumour effect was observed after daily oral administration of CGS 16949A for 3 weeks. The tumour did not recur in the groups treated with 4.0 and 8.0 mg/kg per day. The complete remission rate increased and the time required to achieve complete remission became shorter with increasing daily doses. After daily administration for 3 weeks, a significant antitumour effect was observed in the group treated with CGS 16949A plus tamoxifen compared with that seen either with CGS 16949A or with tamoxifen alone. At the end of treatment, the group treated with CGS 16949A had significantly decreased oestradiol-17 beta and prolactin levels and increased levels of follicle stimulating hormone, but oestrone was not affected.

Cytoprotective effect of prostaglandin I2 on ischemia-induced hepatic cell injury.

The protective effect of prostaglandin I2 (PGI2) on ischemia-induced liver cell injury was investigated during 60-min, 75-min, and 90-min liver ischemia. Vehicle-treated rats tolerated the 75-min hepatic ischemia poorly. Only 25% of the rats in this group survived more than 7 days. However, the survival rate of PGI2-treated rats (350 ng/kg/min) significantly improved to 67%. Liver cell organelles were well-preserved by the PGI2 treatment. Adenosine triphosphate levels in the liver of the PGI2-treated rats were significantly higher than those of vehicle-treated rats at 60 min of reoxygenation following 75-min ischemia. Cyclic 3'-5' adenosine monophosphate levels markedly increased during 60-min PGI2 infusion. Cyclic 3'-5' guanosine monophosphate levels also significantly increased during the PGI2 infusion and were still higher than those of vehicle-treated rats at the end of the 75-min ischemia. Although the exact cytoprotective mechanism of PGI2 at the cellular level is still unclear, our results demonstrate that elevated ATP and cyclic nucleotides levels play an important role in liver cell preservation during ischemia.

Passive enhancement of rat heart allografts by xenogeneic antidonor sera raised in rabbits.

Antilymphocyte serum (ALS) was raised in rabbits immunized by administration of lymphoid cells from Sprague-Dawley (SpD) rats. The ALS was rendered specific for the SpD strain by complete absorption by Wistar rat lymphoid cells. The specificity was considered to be predominantly directed to SpD Ir gene-associated (Ia) antigens, since absorption by SpD erythrocytes failed to abolish lymphocytotoxic activities. Alloantibody production by Wistar rats sensitized with SpD spleen cells was completely inhibited by simultaneous injections of SpD-specific ALS. This effect was specific as normal alloantibody production occurred when Wistar rats were immunized with ACI cells, as a third party. Although this ALS exhibited restricted enhancing ability on skin allograft survival, it was capable of significantly prolonging the survival of heart allografts from SpD to Wistar rats. The ALS showed blocking activities on mixed lymphocyte culture (MLC) but had no effect on cell-mediated cytotoxicity (CMC). The enhancing activity was thus considered to be mediated by an afferent blockage of immune responses.

Immunohistochemical localization of pancreatic secretory trypsin inhibitor in fetal and adult pancreatic and extrapancreatic tissues.

Pancreatic secretory trypsin inhibitor (PSTI) has been thought to be only a secretory trypsin inhibitor of human pancreas, but the serum content of immunoreactive PSTI is elevated without pancreatic disease. Using the peroxidase-antiperoxidase method, immunoreactive cells for PSTI were found in human pancreas, stomach, duodenum, appendix, colon and urinary tract of both fetus and adult, adult gall bladder, and fetal lung. PSTI-immunoreactive cells were identified in fetal pancreas at the tenth gestational week, and in extrapancreatic tissues at the sixteenth (gastrointestinal and urinary tract) and twentieth weeks (lung). PSTI-immunoreactive cells of fetal lung were present in neuroepithelial bodies. Strongly positive cells in fetal duodenum were argyrophilic and resembled endocrine cells. Immunohistochemical study was also performed on tissues associated with inflammatory diseases of gastrointestinal tract. The distribution pattern of immunoreactive cells in the stomach varied in accordance with chronic gastritis. Immunoreactive cells were also found in endocrine micro-nests and in a carcinoid tumor associated with fundic gastritis. These results suggest that PSTI may play some physiological role other than secretory trypsin inhibition of the pancreas.

Immobilization of plasminogen activator, urokinase, on nylon.

Urokinase (UK), a fibrinolytic enzyme activator purified from human material was immobilized on nylon using different procedures. One was a modified method of immobilization of antigen or antibody initially carried out by Edelman and others in 1971 (Procedure I). The other was our newly devised method (Procedure II) (Sugitachi et al. 1976). Major specificities of the immobilized UK are as follows: 1. The UK revealed properties of a plasminogen activator and the optimum pH of the immobilized UK was between 7.2 and 7.4, these values being in good parallel with that of soluble UK. The immobilized UK maintained a stable fibrinolytic activity after long-term preservation and heat-treatment. 2. As the fibrinolytic activity of immobilized UK was found to be inhibited by the antiplasmin in human plasma, an antiplasmin inhibitor was immobilized on the nylon together with the UK. The antiplasmin activity was to some extent prevented using this procedure. 3. Nylon tubes immobilized with UK and antiplasmin inhibitor were used for thrombotic coagulation studies carried out according to the method of Chandler. Thrombus formation time (TFT) of UK-immobilized tubes was 30 min, while that of the non-treated tubes was no longer than 10 min.

Localization of von Willebrand factor and thrombin-interactive domains on human platelet glycoprotein Ib.

Platelet membrane glycoprotein Ib (GPIb) functions as receptors for thrombin and von Willebrand factor (vWF) in the presence of ristocetin. To precisely locate the domains on GPIb interacting with vWF and thrombin, we prepared several peptides that have amino acid sequences analogous to that of the GPIb alpha-chain and examined their effects on ristocetin-induced (vWF-dependent) and thrombin-induced platelet aggregations. A peptide extending from residues Asp235 to Lys262 showed the strongest inhibitory effect on ristocetin-induced platelet agglutination, and a group of overlapping peptides composed of 24-28 amino acid residues representing sequences extending from Phe216 to Asp274 was found to inhibit platelet aggregation induced by thrombin. Other peptides did not inhibit platelet aggregations. Moreover, the binding to platelets of the monoclonal anti-GPIb antibody (TM60) which had been shown to inhibit both ristocetin- and thrombin-induced platelet aggregations was strongly inhibited by a peptide extending from Asp249 to Asp274. These data demonstrate that the vWF-binding domain exists in a small region between residues Asp235 and Lys262; the thrombin-interacting domain, in contrast, is located between residues Phe216 and Ala274, with a possible center of interaction in the sequence from Phe216 to Thr240 on the GPIb alpha-chain, and thrombin binding requires a relatively strict conformation in this domain.

Localization of a thrombin-binding site on human platelet membrane glycoprotein Ib determined by a monoclonal antibody.

To determine a thrombin-binding site on GPIb alpha on platelet membrane, we have examined the binding activities of tryptic or chymotryptic fragments of purified GPIb alpha to a monoclonal antibody against GPIb (TM60) and thrombin using (immuno)affinity chromatography. When purified GPIb alpha was digested with trypsin, two fragments (94-kDa, and 43-kDa) were obtained. The 43-kDa fragment was shown to bind to both affinity columns of TM60- and thrombin-Affi-Gel, while the 94-kDa fragment did not bind to either Affi-Gel columns. When trypsin fragments were incubated with TM60 and then applied to the column of thrombin-Affi-Gel, neither fragments were bound to the column. When the same experiment was performed using chymotrypsin, three fragments (94-kDa, 45-kDa and 39-kDa) were observed. On TM60- and thrombin-Affi-Gel columns, the smaller fragments (45-kDa and 39-kDa) were bound to the column. After incubation of these fragments with TM60, neither bound to the thrombin column. These results indicate (i) that the epitope for TM60 is located near, or on the thrombin-binding site of GPIb alpha, and (ii) that the thrombin-binding site is located on the tail portion of GPIb alpha, especially on a chymotrypsin cleavage site.

Purification and characterization of phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C from bovine platelets.

Phosphatidylinositol-specific phospholipase C was purified to homogeneity from soluble fraction of bovine platelets by ammonium sulfate fractionation, hydrophobic chromatography, DEAE ion exchange chromatography and gel filtration. The purified enzyme has a narrow pH optimum ranging from 6.5 to 7.5 and the molecular weight of the enzyme was estimated to be 143,000 by sodium dodecyl sulfate slab gel electrophoresis. The purified enzyme requires Ca2+ strictly for activity, which was markedly enhanced in the presence of arachidonate. No enhancement of the activity was observed in the presence of purified calmodulin. The activity was markedly inhibited in the presence of quinacrine but no inhibition by indomethacin was observed.

Purification and characterization of human pancreatic phospholipase A2 and development of a radioimmunoassay.

Human pancreatic phospholipase A2 was purified to homogeneity from pancreatic juice and a reliable radioimmunoassay for the enzyme was developed. The molecular weight of the enzyme as estimated by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was 14,000. Phosphatidylcholine was hydrolyzed well in an alkaline pH range, and the optimum activity was obtained at pH 9. Calcium ion was indispensable for activity. The enzyme was stable to heat treatment at 60 degrees C for 5 min. The radioimmunoassay system was highly sensitive, reproducible and specific. The dilution curves for the sera of patients with acute pancreatitis were parallel to the standard curve. In healthy individuals, serum phospholipase A2 concentrations ranged from 2.0 to 7.9 ng/ml, the average being 5.1 ng/ml (S.D.: 1.7). In patients with acute pancreatitis, significant elevations of serum phospholipase A2 contents were observed, and the highest value found was 4,000 ng/ml.

Purification and characterization of the neutral endopeptidase from human kidney.

The presence of an endopeptidase hydrolyzing succinyl trialanine-p-nitroanilide [Suc(Ala)3-pNA] to Suc(Ala)2 and Ala-pNA in human kidney and its partial characterization have been reported (Ishida et al. (1981) Biochem. Int. 3, 239-246). This neutral metallo-endopeptidase was separated into two fractions (A and B) on Sephacryl S-300 and fraction B was further purified to an electrophoretically pure state. The fraction B enzyme had a molecular weight of 100,000 and was inhibited by metal chelators such as EDTA, o-phenanthroline and phosphoramidon, but not by serine protease inhibitors. The enzyme was found to hydrolyze peptide bonds preferentially at the amino sides of hydrophobic amino acids such as Leu and Phe, when its specificity was studied using insulin B chain and angiotensin I. Fraction A seems to be a tetramer of fraction B, judging from its molecular weight, pI, substrate specificity and immunological properties.