Effects of bacillus of Calmette-Guerin, Candida albicans and human recombinant interferon-gamma on RNA metabolism and on in vitro release of tumor necrosis factor-alpha by human monocytes/macrophages.
Bacillus of Calmette-Guerin (BCG) was found to be effective in the therapy of superficial bladder cancer, although the mechanisms by which this occurs have not yet been clarified. One hypothesis is related to the ability of monocytes/macrophages (MN/M phi) to release tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), a monokine with cytotoxic and cytostatic effects against certain tumor cell lines. The present study demonstrates that BCG and C. albicans are both very efficient inducers of TNF-alpha, while they inhibit uridine uptake and incorporation into human MN/M phi RNA. However, unlike C. albicans, BCG is cytotoxic for MN/M phi, as determined by release of labelled leucine from target cells.
Busolo
F
F
Institute of Microbiology, University of Padua Medical School, Italy.
Conventi
L
L
Grigolon
M
M
Bassi
P
P
Milani
C
C
Meneghini
A
A
Pagano
F
F
D000818:Animals; D001500:BCG Vaccine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002176:Candida albicans / Q000276:immunology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007739:L Cells; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D009000:Monocytes / Q000276:immunology; D010586:Phagocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D012313:RNA / Q000378:metabolism; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism*; D014529:Uridine / Q000378:metabolism
D001500:BCG Vaccine; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D012313:RNA; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D014529:Uridine