Liposomes containing encapsulated lymphokines or muramyl dipeptide (MDP), when injected i.v. into C57BL/6 mice, pro duce significant destruction of established lung and lymph node métastasesfrom a s.c. highly metastatic B16-BL6 mela noma. We present evidence that eradication of the métastases is mediated by the activation of host macrophages to the tumoricidal state. Results from three separa...

In this study, we investigated the relationship between intimal thickening of the internal carotid artery (ICA) and immunological reaction, and between occlusion of the ICA and development of basal collateral vessels in moyamoya disease. Rod-shaped lactic acid-glycolic acid copolymer (LGA-50) and N-acetylmuramyl-L-alanyl-D-isoglutamine (muramyl dipeptide: MDP), and immuno-embolic material, were...

PURPOSE To investigate the potential role of macrophages in keratomycosis. METHODS Macrophage elimination was achieved by repeated subconjunctival injection of liposomes containing dichloromethylene diphosphonate (Cl(2)MDP-LIP) in BALB/c mice with Fusarium solani and Candida albicans keratitis, respectively. Controls received liposomes containing phosphate-buffered saline (PBS-LIP). Infected ...

Primase, encoded by dnaG in bacteria, is a specialized DNA-dependent RNA polymerase that synthesizes RNA primers de novo for elongation by DNA polymerase. Genome sequence analysis has revealed two distantly related dnaG genes, TtdnaG and TtdnaG(2), in the thermophilic bacterium Thermoanaerobacter tengcongensis. Both TtDnaG (600 amino acids) and TtDnaG2 (358 amino acids) exhibit primase activiti...

BACKGROUND Several methodological issues with non-randomized comparative clinical studies have been raised, one of which is whether the methods used can adequately identify uncertainties that evolve dynamically with time in real-world systems. The objective of this study is to compare the effectiveness of different combinations of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) treatments and combinations o...

Stimulation of [(3)H]thymidine incorporation of thymocytes and splenocytes from guinea pigs by various bacterial cell walls and their peptidoglycans, by enzymatic digests, and by synthetic muramyl dipeptides was studied as an indication of mitogenic activity. Cell wall and peptidoglycan preparations, isolated from 19 strains belonging to 18 different species, definitely increased [(3)H]thymidin...

Liposomes containing encapsulated lymphokines or muramyl dipeptide (MDP), when injected i.v. into C57BL/6 mice, produced significant destruction of established lung and lymph node metastases from a s.c. highly metastatic B16-BL6 melanoma. We present evidence that eradication of the metastases is mediated by the activation of host macrophages to the tumoricidal state. Results from three separate...