Houttuynia cordata Thunb (HCT) is a native herb found in Southeast Asia which features various pharmacological activities against allergy, inflammation, viral and bacterial infection, and cancer. The aims of this study were to determine the cytotoxic effect of 6 fractions obtained from silica gel column chromatography of alcoholic HCT extract on human leukemic Molt-4 cells and demonstrate mecha...

Background: As a T helper type 1 (Th1) derived cytokine, Interferon gamma (IFN-γ) is an important regulator of inflammatory immune responses. Furthermore, IFN-γ plays an essential role in defense against tumors and intracellular pathogens. This study was designed to assess the pattern of IFN-γ production in human leukemic (Jurkat and Molt-4) T cell lines in vitro. Methods: Ju...

Two human T-lymphoblastoid cell lines, CCRF/CEM and Molt 4, produced beta interferon (IFN-beta) upon infection with Sendai virus. Molt 4, but not CCRF/CEM, spontaneously produced up to 300 U of IFN-gamma per ml, apparently not contaminated with IFN-alpha or -beta. Phytohemagglutinin, a T-cell mitogen, did not stimulate IFN production in these lines. A third T-lymphoblastoid line, CCRF/HSB2, pro...

—Avian molt, or the regularly scheduled replacement of feathers, is an important life history event, particularly in central Amazonian rainforest birds for which a relatively high proportion of the annual cycle can be dedicated to this process. Here, we detail molt strategies of 18 antbird species (Thamnophilidae) based on 2,362 individuals captured from lowland tropical rainforest at the Biolo...

We investigated the effects of water and ethyl acetate extracts of Citrus unshiu peel (Aurantii Nobilis pericarpium) on hepatitis C virus (HCV) absorption in MOLT-4 cells (a human lymphoblastoid leukemia cell line). By reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), we showed that both the ethyl acetate layer of Citrus unshiu peel extract and fraction 7 decreased HCV absorption in MOL...

The most prominent cell-surface integrin 4 1 partner, a 70-kDa protein, was isolated from MOLT-4 T leukemia cells, using anti– 4 1 integrin antibody-coated beads. By mass spectrometry, this protein was identified as EWI-2, a previously described cell-surface partner for tetraspanin proteins CD9 and CD81. Wildtype EWI-2 overexpression had no effect on MOLT-4 cell tethering and adhesion strengthe...

Two human leukemia cell lines (Molt-4 and HL-60) have been used for establishing cells which exhibit a low level resistance to Adriamycin. Analysis of drug uptake patterns shows that the Molt-4 resistant cells are defective in the initial intracellular accumulation of drug. In contrast to Molt-4 the levels of drug which accumulate in the sensitive and resistant HL-60 cells during a 60-min incub...

CD8(+) T cells have been shown to capture plasma membrane fragments from target cells expressing their cognate antigen, a process termed "trogocytosis". Here, we report that human CD4, the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) receptor, can be found among the proteins transferred by trogocytosis. CD4 is expressed in a correct orientation after its capture by CD8(+) T cells as shown by its detectio...

Spermatogonial stem cell (SSC) transplantation has been shown to restore fertility in several species and may have application for treating some cases of male infertility (e.g., secondary to gonadotoxic therapy for cancer). To ensure safety of this fertility preservation strategy, methods are needed to isolate and enrich SSCs from human testis cell suspensions and also remove malignant contamin...

Background and Objective: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a cytokine which is overexpressed in many malignant cancers including leukemia. VEGF plays an important role in tumor invasion and metastasis. Determination of the pattern of VEGF expression in human leukemic cell lines could be useful not only in screening of new antileukemic agents but also to study the mechanism of their ...