15038 studies
The aim of this study was to investigate whether anterior pituitary responsiveness to human pancreatic growth hormone-releasing factor containing 29 amino acids (GRF-29) can be modulated by GRF-29 itself. Male rats were injected (sc) daily for 3 days…
Two fragments of human pancreatic growth hormone-releasing factor, hpGRF-(1-24)-NH2 and hpGRF(1-29)-NH2, were administered to lactating dairy cows in separate experiments. Each experiment involved a 4 X 4 Latin square with treatments being intravenou…
Peptides of different chain lengths (GRF1-44, GRF1-40, GRF1-29) were given as a 50 micrograms i.v. bolus to five normal volunteers. Blood was collected before and until 120 min after GRF injection. No serious side effects were recorded. All GRF pepti…
In previous experiments, alpha-MSH (1-13) and ACTH (1-24), which contains the alpha-MSH 1-13 amino acid sequence, were found to reduce fever after central and peripheral administration of low, non-hypothermic doses. Shorter molecules, including alpha…
Using a partially purified preparation, thymosin fraction 5, we have documented that thymosin can correct many of the immunological deficiencies resulting from the lack of thymosin function in animal models and in humans. Ongoing studies indicate tha…
The epithelial cells of the thymus synthesize at least 30 different polypeptides: the thymic hormones. The structure of 4 of them is well known. They are named thymosin alpha 1, thymopoietin, thymulin and thymic humoral factor. Biological functions a…
Thymosin beta 4, a peptide with hormonal-like properties first isolated from the thymus gland, can be measured in serum using a newly described radioimmunoassay. The radioimmunoassay utilizes an antibody raised in rabbits against synthetic thymosin b…
Molecular cloning of a cDNA has established the sequence of the translated portion of the mRNA for rat spleen thymosin beta 4. The presence of a methionyl initiator codon immediately preceding the codon for the first seryl residue of mature thymosin…
A peptide containing 41 amino acid residues has been isolated from trout liver and identified as a member of the beta-thymosin family. Sequence analysis shows it to be 78% homologous to thymosin beta 4, which is the peptide present in the thymus and…
Rapid high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) procedures have been used to isolate and characterize thymosin beta 4 from different species. Crude extracts termed thymosin fraction 5A were prepared from porcine and ovine thymus glands as well a…
A decline in T cell function accounts for many of the observed age-related deficient immune responses. Specific antibody response to many antigens requires T cell cooperation, and deficient antibody response to such antigens has been demonstrated wit…
In eight isolated dog lobes, we examined the change in extra-alveolar perimicrovascular hydrostatic pressure (Pis) due to lung inflation. The vasculature was filled with autologous plasma. Pulmonary arterial and venous lines were connected to a commo…
The postnatal action of low-molecular polypeptide factors of thymus (FT), pineal gland (FP), bone marrow (FRM) and anterior hypothalamus (FAH) on transplacental carcinogenic effect of N-nitroso-N-ethylurea in rats was studied. Both FT and FP administ…
Cell surface marker analyses conducted on human peripheral blood lymphoid cells have proven extremely useful in the diagnosis of immunodeficiency and the diagnosis and staging of malignancies. In this paper we have focused on the ratio of helper to s…
Since patients with advanced cancer are usually immunodeficient, they might benefit from therapy with thymic hormones, which have an immunorestorative effect in immunosuppressed laboratory animals. We treated 14 patients with thymosin fraction 5 (TF5…
Using a monoclonal antibody (A2B5), which binds to GQ ganglioside, and tetanus toxin, which binds to GD and GT gangliosides, distinct regions of human and rodent thymic epithelial cells have been identified. The lymphoid elements of the thymus do not…
1. Thymosin alpha 1 precursor [3H]cDNA-cellulose synthesis was carried out by reverse transcription with RNA-dependent DNA polymerase from avian myeloblastosis virus using oligo(dT)-bound to cellulose as a primer. 2. Unlabelled thymosin alpha 1 precu…
Animal models for opportunistic infections were developed by using mice immunosuppressed by 5-FU. These mice were susceptible to various microorganisms, while normal mice had greater tolerance to such microbial infections. In these models, thymosin a…