EFFECTS OF β-ENDORPHIN ON PHYTOHEMAGGLUTININ-INDUCED LYMPHOCYTE PROLIFERATION AND MOUSE PLAQUE-FORMING CELL RESPONSE VIA AN OPIOID RECEPTOR MECHANISM

The effects of opioid peptides on iminune responses were investigated. It was found that β-endorphin (β-END) can depress proliferative responses to PHA in rat splenocytes but enhance those in mice, and it could also inhibit the plaque-forming cell (PFC) response to sheep red blood cells when mouse splenocytes immunized in vivo were cultured in vitro with the peptide. The peptide antagonist naloxone was able to reverse β-END suppression of the PFC response. The data indicate that β-END suppresses antibody production or secretion via a specific opioidreceptor-mediated mechanism.

CHANGES IN ACTIVITY OF INSULIN RECEPTOR TYROSINE KINASE AND CHARACTERISTICS OF ITS ENDOGENOUS SUBSTRATE IN TRANSFORMED HUMAN LYMPHOCYTES

The cascade reaction of tyrosine phosphorylation provides an attractive mechanism to regulate the metabolism and growth of normal and transformed cells. Thus, considerable effort has been made to identify the cellular substrates of the tyrosine kinases. In this work, the activity of the Insulin receptor tyrosine kinase and endogenous substrate in transformed lymphocytes were studied. Purified human T lymphocytes incubated with phytohemagglutinin (PHA) for 72 hours served as transformed cells, when labeled with [32P] - orthophosphate it appeared that the insulin-dependent protein kinase activity in the transformed cells increased 9- fold. In search for the physiologically significant substrates by using polyclonal antiphosphotyrosine antibody to immunoprecipitate phosphotyrosine-containing proteins that produced in the intact cell during insulin stimulation, a protein with molecular weight of 45kDa as identified and designated as PP45, which occurred during the 5 minutes response of lymphocytes to insulin.

Immunopotentiating Effects of Cucurbitacin B in Mice

Cucurbitacin B(CUB)is a major active principle contained in the calyx melo of Cucumis melo L.The immunopotentiating effects of CuB(im,qd×5)were studied.At lower doses, CuB increased the number of peripheral blood T lymphocytes(0.1 mg/kg),the rate of PHA-induced lymphocyte transformation(0.2 mg/kg),the number of plaque forming cells(PFC)of the spleen(0.2 mg/kg)and the level of serum hemolysin(0.4 mg/kg).The phagocytosis of macrophages and the clearance rate of charcoal particles were enhanced only by a large dose(0.8 mg/kg).The results indicate that CuB can potentiate both cellular and humoral immune function.

Effects of Echinacea Compound on the Immune Function of Weaned Piglets

[Objective] This study aimed to investigate effects of Echinacea compound on the immune function of weaned piglets. [Method] Eighty Duroc x Landrace x Yorkshire crossbred piglets were randomly divided into four groups： control group （drug-free group）, 1.5% close group, 1.0% dose group and 0.5% dose group. Blood samples of piglets were collected at 20, 35, 50, 60, 70 and 80 days old, respective- ly, to determine neutrophil leukocyte percentage in peripheral blood, lymphocyte trapsformation rate and the levels of antibodies against classical swine fever, porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome disorder. [Result] Applying a certain dose of Echinacea compound could significantly increase neutrophil leukocyte per- centage in peripheral blood and lymphocyte transformation rate （P〈0.05）, and ex- tremely significantly improve the levels of antibodies against classical swine fever, porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome disorder （P〈0.01）. [Conclusion] Echi- nacea compound has played a certain role in promoting nonspecific and specific im- mune function of piglets.

The Effect of Tremella Fuciformis Spores Polysaccharides (TSP) on Immune Cellular Function of Mice in Vitro

TSP could markedly enhance the proliferative response of the murine splenocyte to LPS and induce the mitogenesis of the spleen cells.Furthermore,it was able to augment the activity of natural killer cell and ADGG;at a dosage of 25-250μg/ml,the ability of splenocytes to produce IL-2 induced by onA had been improved; at the concentration of 250μg／ml or more,TSP could inhibit the proliferative response of the murine lymphocyte to GonA and the ~3-HTdR spontaneous incorporation rate of thymocytes,and the inhibitory action ran in paralell with the increase in concentration of TSP.

Electrophoretic Analysis on RNA of Deltamethrin-resistant Culex Pipiens Pallens

TSP could markedly enhance the proliferative response of the murine splenocyte to LPS and induce the mitogenesis of the spleen cells.Furthermore,it was able to augment the activity of natural killer cell and ADGG;at a dosage of 25-250μg/ml,the ability of splenocytes to produce IL-2 induced by onA had been improved; at the concentration of 250μg/ml or more,TSP could inhibit the proliferative response of the murine lymphocyte to GonA and the ￣3-HTdR spontaneous incorporation rate of thymocytes,and the inhibitory action ran in paralell with the increase in concentration of TSP.

Analysis of the Effect of Combined DesensitizingAcupoints Therapy in Treating 419 Cases of Allergic Rhinitis Accompanied Asthma

Objective: To explore the effect of combined acupoint desensitizing therapy.Methods: A total of 419 cases of allergic rhinitis accompanied with asthma were treated by combined acupoint desensitizing therapy with positive allergen extract on acupoints of head and upper back region.Results: After 3 courses of treatment, skin test repeated with responding allergen extract showed that the scope of redness and swelling of skin were smaller than those before treatment,P < 0.01. The3H-TdR incorporation lymphocyte transformation rate, acidophil count, IgA, IgG level and E-rosette formation rate of acupoint desensitizing group were different significantly from those of the two control groups (the acupoint 0.85% normal saline injection group and the subcutaneous desensitizing group),P < 0.01 orP < 0.05. Follow-up study for over 3 years showed that the markedly effective rate of the acupoint desensitizing group was 68.73%, the effective rate 29.12% and total effective rate, 97.85%. The effect was higher than that of the two control groups, P<0.01.Conclusion: Combined acupoint desensitizing therapy is valuable and worthy of popularizing in treating patients of allergic rhinitis accompanied asthma.

THE BIOLOGICAL FUNCTION OF RABBIT BLASTOCYST PEPTIDES (RBPs)

The inhibitory effect of rabbit blastocystic peptides (RBPs) on lymphocyte transfor-mation was studied by the method of measuring the incorporation of ~3H- thymidine intoDNA. The results indicated that RBPs inhibited PHA-stimulated rat and human lympho-cyte transformation in vitro. In the concentration ranging from 40 to 200 μg/2.5 ml, theinhibition was dose-dependent. No obvious inhibitory action was found with hCG (16- 128IU/2.5 ml), progesterone (250 ng- 1 μg/2.5 ml) and pregnant rabbit serum. It was furtherdemonstrated that RBPs at a higher dosage (200 μg/ml) was inhibitory to PGF_(2α) secretion.On the other hand, the ~3H- leucine incorporation of rabbit endometrium was enhanced bythese peptides, and this action could be blocked by the addition of actidine.