To examine PG production in estrogen deficiency, we studied effects on cultured neonatal mouse calvariae of bone marrow supernatants (MSup) from sham-operated (SHAM), ovariectomized (OVX), or 1713-estradiol (OVX+E) -treated mice. MSups were obtained 3 wk after OVX when bone density had decreased significantly. 10-60% MSup increased medium PGE2 and levels of mRNA for inducible and constitutive prostaglandin G/H synthase (PGHS-2 and PGHS-1) and cytosolic phospholipase A2 in calvarial cultures. OVX MSups had twofold greater effects on PGHS-2 and medium PGE2 than other MSups. IL-1 receptor antagonist and anti-IL-la neutralizing antibody decreased MSup-stimulated PGHS-2 mRNA and PGE2 levels and diminished differences among OVX, sham-operated, and OVX+E groups. In contrast, antibodies to IL-18, IL-6, IL-li, and TNFa had little effect. There were no significant differences in IL-la concentrations or IL-la mRNA levels in MSups or marrow cells. PGHS-2 mRNA in freshly isolated tibiae from OVX mice was slightly greater than from sham-operated. We conclude that bone marrow factors can increase PG production through stimulation of PGHS-2; that OVX increases and estrogen decreases activity of these factors; and that IL-la activity, together with additional unknown factors, mediates the differential MSup effects. (J.

A procedure is presented for the estimation of sucrose concentrations in the range of 10 to 250 parts per million, using a 0.05% solution of anthrone in concentrated sulfuric acid. This method offers the advantages of increased sensitivity and accuracy over the commonly used Molisch -naphthol test.

Leukocytes were collected from donors with chronic myelocytic leukemia by plasmapheresis and transfused into severely leukopenic recipients. The median transfusion of 7 x 1010 granulocytes (range .15 to 35 x 1010) resulted in a median increase in circulating granulocytes of 1,000 per cu. nun.(range 0 to 19,OOO), one hour after injection. The posttransfusion increment was directly related to the number of cells injected. Only 4.8 per cent of the injected cells were recovered in the circulating blood volume at one hour (range 0-37 per cent). The per cent recovery was directly related to the pretransfusion granulocyte count of the recipient; the more severe the recipient's leukopenia, the lower w-as the per cent recovery of transfused cells. The transfused granulocytes disappeared from the recipients' circulation with a half time of 24 hours.A number of other factors were found to influence the results of transfusion, such as: the antileukemic drugs given, the presence of fever, the transfusion vehicle (k, saline concentrates or whole plasma), the ABO red cell compatibility of donor and recipient, and the sequence of transfusion.Clinical responses as measured by disappearance of fever were seen in 54 per cent of the recipients. The fraction of febrile patients responding increased as the dose of leukocytes transfused increased. Severe reactions, manifested by dyspnea, cyanosis, and lung infiltrates were seen in a small percentage, but febrile reactions occurred in 67 per cent of afebrile patients.

No abstract

Studies were conducted to evaluate the characteristics of red cells stored for 35 days following preparation from units of whole blood anticoagulated with citrate-phosphate-dextrose-adenine-one and two (CPDA-1 and CPDA-2) and maintained at 20 to 24 degrees C for 8 hours after phlebotomy. The mean (+/- 1 SD) 24-hour survival for transfused CPDA-1 autologous red cells with hematocrit levels of 78.1 +/- 2.3 percent was 78.0 +/- 8.1 percent (n = 9). The 24-hour survival of red cells from units preserved with CPDA-2 with hematocrit levels of 79.3 +/- 4.5 percent was 74.8 +/- 8.6 percent (n = 15). This difference in survival was not significant. Red cells from control units stored for 1 day showed a 24-hour survival of 91.9 +/- 4.2 percent (n = 7). During the 8-hour holding, red cell adenosine triphosphate levels increased by 15 to 25 percent in units drawn into both CPDA-1 and CPDA-2. After the initial 8-hour period, the red cell 2,3 diphosphoglycerate levels were 54 +/- 12 percent (mean +/- 1 SD) of initial levels in units drawn into CPDA-1 and 58 +/- 8 percent of initial levels in units drawn into CPDA-2. Following 35 days of storage, units of red cells prepared from whole blood drawn into CPDA-1 and CPDA-2 had comparable plasma cation and ammonia levels and similar amounts of cell-free hemoglobin. These data indicate that red cells can be stored satisfactorily for 35 days when prepared from whole blood held at 20 to 24 degrees C for 8 hours.