Haruhisa Wago

HEMOCYTIC DIFFERENTIATION IN HEMOPOIETIC ORGAN OF BOMBYX MORI LARVAE

Abstract Bombyx mori L. (Lepidoptera: Bombycidae) larva was investigated with a transmission electron microscopy to determine hemocytic differentiation in the hemopoietic organ located in the prothorax. Three and/or four types of stem cells in compact islets of the organ were observed. Immatured hemocytes in loose islets of the organ were more differentiated and developed than in compact islets. Four types of hemocytes such as prohemocyte, plasmatocyte, granulocyte and oenocytoid were observed in loose islets. Each type of hemocyte was differentiated from each type of stem cell. However, none of spherulocyte was observed. Each type of hemocytes matured in loose islets was discharged into hemolymph by the tearing of acellular membrane covering the islets. These observation strongly suggests that the four kinds of hemocytes except for spherulocytes first appeared in islets and then moved to the region of loose islets in matured form. The more detailed pathway of hemocytic differentiation in B. mori was represented here.

Cellular recognition of foreign materials by Bombyxmori phagocytes: II. Role of hemolymph and phagocyte filopodia in the cellular reactions

The plasmatocytes and granular cells are the most important hemocyte types involved in the cellular reactions of insects. These two hemocytes are obviously characterized with the adhesive morphology. Particularly, the granular cells in Bombyx mori have many long filopodia, and they are considered to play roles in catching the foreign materials invading into the hemocoel and also in obtaining some phagocytic signals during elongation process. The second part of this mini-review is a continuation of the previous summary (1) in which the immunocompetent cells in B.mori were described. Here, possible role of hemolymph factor is presented with much attention to the filopodial function of phagocytic granular cells of B.mori.

Regulatory effects of temperature and hemolymph on inhibition and enhancement of attachment and filopodia function of phagocytic granular cells of the silkworm, Bombyx mori.

The effect of temperature on the adhesiveness and filopodia elongation of granular cells was examined in the presence or absence of hemolymph. The incubation in hemolymph remarkably increased the number of adherent cells almost irrespective of temperatures. Marked inhibition of attachment was seen in incubation media without hemolymph or with 20% hemolymph but at much lower temperatures. Filopodia elongation was markedly inhibited at a low temperature even when the cells were incubated in hemolymph alone. However, the number of filopodia-elongated cells was increased by raising the temperature even without hemolymph. These results show that hemolymph of B. mori is suggested to contain at least two kinds of humoral factors which affect the initial phases of cellular reactions to foreign materials. One is to promote attachment and the other to activate filopodia function. Moreover, it is shown that attachment is a temperature-independent process in the presence of hemolymph unlike filopodia elongation. However, since both attachment and filopodia elongation were increased by raising the temperature, temperature is considered to be another important cofactor in enhancement of foreignness-recognition and binding ability.

The role of hemolymph in the initial cellular attachment to foreign cells by the hemocytes of the silkworm, Bombyx mori

Abstract The effects of silkworm hemolymph, Bombyx mori , on the frequency of hemocyte-binding were studied using the scanning electron microscopy ( SEM ) and a rosette assay with goose erythrocytes ( GRBC ). Hemocytes from the last instar larvae were able to bind to GRBC in vitro int he absence of hemolymph. Hemocytes type involved in sponteneous cytoadherence was mainly the granular cell, while both plasmatocyte and prohemocyte were also observed to adhere to GRBC. However, the frequency of these two hemocytes binding to GRBC was low compared with that of granular cells. Observations with the SEM showed that the presence of hemolymph increased the number of GRBC-binding hemocytes, especially the granular cells and plasmatocytes. Therefore, hemolymph probably had a significant role in the attachment of granular cells and plasmatocytes to foreign erythrocytes.

Invitro evidence for the requirement of filopodial elongation for the progress of phagocytosis by phagocytic granular cells of the silkworm, Bombyxmori

Abstract The significance of filopodial elongation of phagocytic granular cells of Bombyx mori in the progress of phagocytosis was investigated by regulating the degree of filopodial elongation with low temperature and cytochalasin B (CB). Elongation-inhibited cells were unable to ingest foreign cells such as sheep erythrocytes (SRBC), while cells having more or less the ability to elongate their filopodia against SRBC could phagocytose them. The results showed that filopodial elongation was an essential element in the progress of a series of phagocytic processes following attachment, and also suggested that certain level of intracellular phagocytic signals obtained during elongation is required for the completion of phagocytosis.

The important significance of filopodial elongation of phagocytic granular cells of the silkworm, Bombyx mori, in recognition of foreignness

The significance of filopodial elongation of granular phagocytes of Bombyx mori in recognition of foreignness was examined using a larval epidermis obtained from the same individual of B.mori as a self material and intra- or interspecific epidermis and glass as non-self ones. Incubation of cells on self or intraspecific epidermis markedly decreased the filopodial elongation of attached cells, as compared with the incubation on glass. Interspecific epidermis from other Lepidopterans (Papilio xuthus and Pieris melete) have not received filopodial elongation of B.mori granular cells to a lesser degree than B.mori epidermis. Moreover, granular cells directly fixed with glutaraldehyde soon after bleeding were also observed to fold their filopodia. These results seemed to provide experimental evidence that filopodial elongation was probably stimulated by non-self recognition by granular phagocytes.

Chinese Medicine and Immunity

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has so far been known to be useful for cancer patients as both an anti-tumor and an immuno-enhancing drug 1,2. If some kinds of crude drugs of TCM possess such biological activities, they would be of great help in cancer treatment. Recently, it was found that Astragali radix has immuno-enhancing and anti-tumor effects3–5 and Angelicae radix also has anti-inflammatory, analgestic, interferon-inducing, and immunopotentiating effects6–9. In addition, Zizyphi fructus is reported to augment the natural killer cell activity10, while Cervi parvum cornu is shown to exert anti-tumor effects by the inhibition of monoamine oxidase11–13. Amomi semen and Rehmanniaee radix are also known to have anti-tumor activity and to enhance the function of cytotoxic T lymphocyte with the increase of IL-214,15.

Labial Gland and Its Protein Patterns of Hydropsychid Caddisfly (Hydropsyche kozhantschikovi Martynov: Trichoptera)

ABSTRACT There is a pair of labial gland of hydropsychid caddisfly (Hydropsyche kozhantschikovi Martynov) larva. It is in ‘Z’ formation in the body and the total length is about 20 mm. Hydropsychid caddishfly larvae that were raised under the lab conditions were able to form a nest‐spining by connecting the small grains of sand provided. By repeatedly treating the extracted labial gland with methanol/D.W., the cell layer was removed. Accordingly, only the matrix within the labial gland that did not dissolve in water was obtained. The matrix inside the methanol/D.W. treated labial gland was dissolved with 5% acetic acid. Then the results of an acidic electrophoresis with a number of conditions indicated that 5% acetic acid/ 5 M urea/ 8% PAGE was the most effective. Moreover, the result of 2‐D PAGE on the labial gland of these hydropsychid caddisfly larva, the number of proteins in the labial gland including the cell layer was about 350 and the number of proteins in the labial gland treated with methanol/D.W. was about 80, showing a substantially small number of proteins.

Music therapy, a future alternative intervention against diseases

It is a serious problem that a lot of stresses caused by external stimuli have malignant influences on both physiological and psychological functions in humans. Particularly, those stresses compromise bioactivities by adversely affecting the nervous and endocrine systems as well as the immune system, which plays a key role in prevention of infectious diseases and cancer1–4. Music, a universal language with many purposes, has been used in the health care setting to reduce stress and anxiety5. However, its biomedical significance is not fully understood. In this chapter we review effects of music therapy on human bio-functions such as nervous, endocrine and immune systems and then report our investigation on how music can enhance the immune system.