Thymus implants

After the complete course of treatment with l-(chloromethyl)-3,7,10-trimethyl-silatrane at doses of 50 and 100 mg/kg per day white mice with sarcoma MTX and rats with implantated tumours displayed increased weight coefficients for spleen and thymus and a greater amount of functionally active rosula-forming lymphocytes. 

No effect on granuloma or thymus weight in rats implanted with HCHO-soaked filter paper 390... 

De Heer C, Schuurman H-J, Liem AKD, et al. 1995. Toxicity of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) to the human thymus after implantation in SCID mice. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol 134 296-304. 

The most famous example of non-specific polysaccharide immunoadjuvants is lentinan isolated from Lentinus edodes. Since 1985, lentinan has been used as an antitumor agent. Lentinan is a (1 3)-/3-glucop)ranan bearing (1 6)-/3-glucopyranoside branches (O Scheme 1). This neutral polysaccharide suppresses the proliferation of sarcoma 180 tumors implanted subcutaneously in mice. Its antitumor activity was due to a host-mediated reaction with participation of thymus or thymus-dependent cells [1]. The lymphokines induced by this polysaccharide enhance the activity of lymphocytes (e. g., macrophages, helper T cells, and/or natural killer cells) in a dramatic manner [2,3,4,5]. Lentinan-like (1 3)-/3-glucopyranan (schizophyllan) contained in the insoluble fraction of Schizophyllum commune has the stracture shown in O Scheme 2 and is known to possess antitumor activity [6]. 

Doxorubicin (5 mg/kg) was administered inlraperitoneally to mice on days 1 and 8 after implantation of tumor cells. On day 15, the solid tumor tissues were removed, and then 4-hydroxyderricin or doxorubicin was again administered until death. On day 16, the surviving tumor-removed mice were kilted. The spleen and thymus weights of dead mice and surviving mice killed on day 16 were measured. Values are expressed as mean i S.E. of 4-6 mice. 

Table 19. Effects of 4-bydroxyderriciii from A, kelskel roots on body, liver, lung and thymus weights in mice with intrasplenically implanted LLC.

Transplants of fetal thymus into these infants result in the rapid acquisition of T cell function, even when implanted in a Millipore chamber " . 

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