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The present study aimed at comparing in vitro the apoptogenic properties of metallic cobalt (Co), tungsten carbide (WC) and tungsten carbide–cobalt (WC–Co) in conditions known to cause genotoxicity. Human peripheral blood mononucleated cells were incubated with 2.0–6.0μg/ml of Co alone or mixed with WC particles and 33.3–100.0μg/ml WC alone for up to 24h. Under these culture conditions the majority (60%) of the cobalt metal particles were almost immediately solubilised in the culture medium, while WC remained under the form of particles that were progressively phagocytosed by monocytes. Apoptosis was assessed by Annexin-V staining, flow cytometry and analysis of DNA fragmentation by ELISA. Metallic Co-particles induced apoptosis in vitro. Furthermore, although so far considered as biologically inert, WC particles also induced apoptosis. When compared with its individual components WC–Co displayed an additive apoptotic effect in the DNA fragmentation assay. Apoptosis induced by WC particles was found largely dependent on caspase-9 activation and occurred presumably in monocytes, while that induced by Co involved both caspase-9 and -8 activation. The data suggest that apoptosis induced by the tested WC–Co mixture results from the additive effects of WC apoptosis induced in monocytes and Co-specific apoptosis in both monocytes and lymphocytes. The apoptogenic properties of these metals may be important in the mechanism of lung pathologies induced by the cobalt-containing particles. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Adherence of pathogenic Entamoeba histolytica trophozoites mediated by Gal/GalNAc lectin is a prerequisite for killing naı¨ve T cells and monocytes but the activated T cells and monocyte derived macrophages (MDMs) not only resist the attack but can kill the parasite. In the present study, we have analysed the adherence and cytotoxicity of the immunecompetent cells from patients of amoebic liver abscess at the time of their diagnosis and after 3 months to elucidate the development of cell mediated cytotoxicity, a major mechanism of resistance to amoebic infection. The results show that CD3+ cells from amoebic liver abscess cases, when stimulated, in vitro, bound E. histolytica trophozoites with increased intensity and their viability was also increased. The activated lymphocytes (taken at 3 months post treatment) were also able to kill amoebae. MDMs bound amoebae with greater intensity than lymphocytes, until 3 months post infection. These MDMs were effective in killing approximately 40% amoebae which was significantly less than at the time of diagnosis but was very significant as compared to the controls. The data suggest that cell mediated cytotoxic responses are maximum until 1 month post treatment and are significantly reduced thereafter. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Cell-mediated immune responses is commonly evaluated by cell proliferation assays. Mitogens are known to induce a vigorous proliferative response in lymphoid cells from mammals but relatively fewer studies have investigated mitogen-mediated lymphoproliferation in non-mammalian animals. In the present work, we incubated spleen, thymus and blood leukocytes with phytohaemagglutinin (PHA), concanavalin A (Con A), lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and pokeweed mitogen (PWM), by different times of incubation (96 and 120 h) and at different concentrations. Our results show that the optimal mitogen concentrations inducing proliferation on leukocytes from Mauremys caspica were 20 μg/ml PHA, 1 μg/ml Con A, 12.5 μg/ml LPS and 1/150 dilution PWM. The optimal time of incubation was dependent on the type of leukocytes (peripheral blood leukocytes, splenic leukocytes or thymic cells) and the mitogen utilized. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]