Yolene Thomas

• Dr.ès sciences
• Nantes Université

The memory of water was a radical idea that arose in the laboratory of Jacques Benveniste in the late 1980s. Twenty-five years have passed and yet the often angry debate on its merits continues despite the increasing number of scientists who have reported confirmation of the basic results. One working hypothesis was that molecules can communicate w...

A multidisciplinary project was conducted to study the possible biological impact of mobile phone emissions. As part of that project, we conducted a pilot study on 18 human volunteers, with the treatment being GSM mobile phone exposure. The volunteers were randomized and the study was a double-blind, crossover design. Two categories of oxidative st...

Making a brief history of what is named the ‘Memory of Water’ is obviously not an easy task. Trying to be as fair and accurate as possible is hampered by two main difficulties: 1) one of the main actors, Jacques Benveniste, recently passed away and 2) cutting edge science creates many controversies, especially with those whose lifetimes have been s...

'Homeopathic dilutions' and 'Memory of Water' are two expressions capable of turning a peaceful and intelligent person into a violently irrational one,' as Michel Schiff points out in the introduction of his book 'The Memory of Water'. The idea of the memory of water arose in the laboratory of Jacques Benveniste in the late 1980s and 20 years later...

Many biological subdisciplines that regularly assess dose-response relationships have identified an evolutionarily conserved process in which a low dose of a stressful stimulus activates an adaptive response that increases the resistance of the cell or organism to a moderate to severe level of stress. Due to a lack of frequent interaction among sci...

Well-characterized purified water was exposed for 6 h to pulsed low-frequency weak electromagnetic fields. After various time periods, nondegassed and degassed water samples were analyzed by static light scattering. Just after electromagnetic exposure (day 0), a reduction of over 20% in the maximum light scattering intensity at 488 nm wavelength in...

The effects of a pulsed low frequency electromagnetic field were investigated on photoluminescence of well characterized water and prepared under controlled conditions (container, atmospheric, electromagnetic, and acoustic environments). When reference water samples were excited at 260 nm, two wide emission bands centered at 345 nm (3.6 eV) and 425...

The effects of a pulsed low frequency electromagnetic field were investigated on photoluminescence of well characterized water and prepared under controlled conditions (container, atmospheric, electromagnetic, and acoustic environments). When reference water samples were excited at 260 nm, two wide emission bands centered at 345 nm (3.6 eV) and 425...

This paper has been withdrawn by the author.

Wastewater sludges are used in agriculture as soil amendment and fertilizer, with regard to their organic matter and nutrient content. However, availability of nitrogen and phosphorus from sludge-amended soils and their transfer in runoff may lead to eutrophication of downstream surface water. The aim of this study is to establish and compare the e...

The history of science teaches that the greatest advances in the scientific domain have been achieved by bold thinkers who perceived new and fruitful approaches that others failed to notice. If one had taken the ideas of these scientific geniuses who have been the promoters of modern science and submitted them to committees of specialists, there is...

As part of a project studying the interactions between farming practices, soil erosion processes, and fate of agricultural pollutants into runoff waters, we conducted a pilot study to investigate the relationship between metal contents and metallothionein-2A (MT-2A) as a bioindicator of metal exposure. Runoff water samples were collected between Ma...

As part of a project studying the interactions between farming practices, soil erosion processes, and fate of agricultural pollutants into runoff waters, we conducted a pilot study to investigate the relationship between metal contents and metallothionein-2A (MT-2A) as a bioindicator of metal exposure. Runoff water samples were collected between Ma...

Increased levels of serum IgE have been described in gliadin-intolerant patients; however, biological mechanisms implicated in this immunoglobulin production remained unknown. In this study, we demonstrated that in vitro crude gliadins and gliadin lysates (Glilys) promoted the IL-4-induced IgE production by human peripheral blood mononuclear cells...

The paralysé spontaneous mutation in mice involves degeneration and death of anterior horn motor neurons. Mutant mice are not viable past postnatal day 16. At present, the mechanisms involved in motor neuron death are unknown. Here, we investigate the expression of the small heat shock protein Hsp25, in the spinal cord of paralysé at two different...

The paralysé spontaneous mutation in mice involves degeneration and death of anterior horn motor neurons. Mutant mice are not viable past postnatal day 16. At present, the mechanisms involved in motor neuron death are unknown. Here, we investigate the expression of the small heat shock protein Hsp25, in the spinal cord of paralysé at two different...

We report the transfer of the activity of 4-phorbol-12-beta-myristate-13-acetate (PMA) by electronic means. Neutrophils were placed at 37 degrees C on one coil attached to an oscillator, while PMA was placed on another coil at room temperature. The oscillator was then turned on for 15 min, after which cells were usually further incubated for up to...

We extended our previous data regarding the modulation of human platelet-activating factor receptor (hPAF-R) expression on human B cell lines as well as normal B cells. First, we showed that hPAF-R mRNA was present in B cell lines expressing membrane hPAF-R, but was absent from cell lines devoid of hPAF-R. Second, enhanced hPAF-R membrane expressio...

The molecular signal of PMA can be electronically transmitted and modulate neutrophil reactive oxygen metabolite (ROM) production as if PMA itself was added to the cells [1]. Experiments reported here were done blind or open at INSERM U 332, ICGM, Paris.Transmission was performed via an especially designed amplifier connected to two coils [2]. The...

Electrokinetic behaviour of human lymphocytes was studied by photon correlation spectroscopy technique on laser IR-spectrometer. The electrophoretic mobilities (EPMs) were measured for peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) and CEM-C12 T cell line in 1:1 electrolyte at 22 degrees C. Plots of mobility vs ionic strength in the range 0.001-0.1 M were comp...

We previously showed in a human T cell line (CEM-C12 cells) that Cd2+ induced gene expression of stress proteins, metallothionein-IIA and heat shock protein 70 in a time- and dose-dependent manner. In the present study, CEM-C12 cells were pretreated for 24 h with 1 μM Cd2+ and then challenged with toxic concentrations of this metal. We found that m...

Cadmium, a potent toxic metal, poses a serious environmental threat but the mechanisms of its toxicity remain unclear. In the present study, we investigated the nature of cadmium-induced cell death in the human T cell line CEM-C12. Cadmium was time- and dose-dependently toxic for CEM-C12 cells, cell death being preceded by chromatin condensation an...

Many difficult issues confront toxicologists. For instance, animal studies have proved to be difficult for the assessment of human toxicity especially to measure directly the impact of low doses of toxic compounds. Recently, novel molecular approaches to cellular mechanisms involved in the response of "toxic stress" has broaden the field of toxicol...

We investigated the ability of a phospholipid cytokine, paf-acether to modulate programmed cell death in an immature human T cell line CEM-C12. Paf-acether alone did not cause cell death, but when it was added to CEM-C12 cells in the presence of calcium ionophore, a marked increase in cell mortality and DNA fragmentation was observed compared with...

Paf-acether (paf) is a phospholipid cytokine alloted with potent inflammatory and immunoregulatory properties. Recent reports indicated that in human B cell lines, paf modulated both early and late activation events. In our study, we showed that four of six human B cell lines specifically bound [3H]paf irrespective of the stage of differentiation,...

A human CD4+ T lymphocyte clone synthesized platelet-activating factor (PAF) acether when stimulated via the CD2 pathway. PAF-acether was characterized by biochemical and biophysical properties and precursor-product relationships (alkyl-acyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (GPC)----alkyl-lyso-GPC (lyso-PAF)----PAF-acether) were demonstrated. The clone...

Paf is a phospholipid mediator present in human skin which induces inflammatory events, such as neutrophil infiltration and increased vascular permeability. Recent data suggest that cutaneous cells, such as fibroblasts and keratinocytes, produce paf and that paf is released during allergic cutaneous reactions. It is tempting to speculate that paf m...

Activated human T cells via the CD2 or the CD3 pathways exhibited a higher capacity than resting T lymphocytes to incorporate and metabolize [3H]pafacether (paf) at 37 degrees C. Resting T lymphocytes lacked specific binding capacity for paf, yet high-affinity paf receptors (paf-R) were induced on CD3- or CD2-dependent activation. This up-regulatio...

In the present study we showed that paf-acether (paf), a naturally occurring phospholipid cytokine, down-regulated IL-4-induced IgE production by mononuclear cells from healthy nonatopic donors in a dose-dependent fashion from 10 microM to 10 pM. Kinetic studies indicated that addition of paf together with IL-4 strongly decreased IgE synthesis from...

A solid-phase enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for determining human serum cystatin C is described. In 50 normal samples, cystatin C concentration was 1247 +/- 224 micrograms/L (mean +/- SD) which is in agreement with previously reported levels. Serum levels of cystatin C and beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2-M) were investigated in a time-cour...

Metallothioneins (MTs) are a class of small cysteine-rich heavy metal binding proteins produced in response to a variety of stresses, inflammation, and as components of the acute-phase response. Although the exact role of MT in this phase is not known, a number of reports have shown that expression of hepatic MT is markedly increased in response to...

The role of paf-acether (paf), a phospholipid cytokine, in the modulation of human B cell function was investigated. Paf, from 1×10−5 M to 10−6 M, decreased B cell proliferation induced by both phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) and anti-IgM antibodies (anti-IgM Ab). By contrast, 1×10−7 M to 1×10−9 M paf enhanced PMA triggered, but not anti-IgM trigge...

Clinical studies suggest that Helicobacter pylori may play a role in the pathogenesis of gastroduodenal ulcers in man but direct evidence of mucosal injury by this microorganism is still lacking. Paf-acether (paf) causes a number of disorders including ischaemic bowel necrosis and gastroduodenal ulceration. Since paf is produced by Escherichia coli...

The production of the inflammatory mediator paf-acether (paf) from human epidermal cells was investigated in vitro. Human epidermal cells, freshly isolated from normal skin or in culture, were incubated in Tyrode's buffer containing 0.25% lipid-free bovine serum albumin in the presence of 2 microM calcium ionophore A23187, at 37 degrees C, for 1 to...

In the present report, we further explored the mechanisms by which 1-O-alkyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (paf-acether), a phospholipid mediator of inflammation inhibited PHA-induced CD4+ cell proliferation. Evidence was obtained that CD4+ cells stimulated with either PHA or immobilized OKT3 in the presence of paf at concentrations that blo...

Comparison between holoxenic and axenic mice led to the conclusion that the presence of an intestinal microflora produced a decrease in wall paf in conventional mouse caecum, whereas an increase in wall lyso-paf and alkyl-acyl-glycerophosphocholine (A-A-GPC) content was noticed. By contrast, the presence of flora had no significant incidence on wal...

paf-Acether (paf) is a phospholipid mediator of inflammation released from monocytes along with IL-1. In this study, we have examined the role of paf on IL-1 production by human monocytes. When paf from 1 nM to 5 microM, but not its precursor lyso paf, was added to monocytes in the presence of muramyl dipeptide (MDP) or LPS, a marked increase in IL...

In the present report we further explored the role of paf-acether (paf), a phospholipid cytokine, in the modulation of T cell activation Induced via the CD2 and the CD3 pathways. Evidence was obtained that paf inhibited T cell proliferation Induced by Immobilized CD3 mAb (OKT3I), but potentiated that Induced by a combination with the CD2 mAb, anti-...

The Silences of the Archives, the Reknown of the Story. The Martin Guerre affair has been told many times since Jean de Coras and Guillaume Lesueur published their stories in 1561. It is in many ways a perfect intrigue with uncanny resemblance, persuasive deception and a surprizing end when the two Martin stood face to face, memory to memory, befor...

Paf is a potent mediator of inflammatory diseases and septic shock. In previous studies we showed that paf can be released by prokaryotic cells such as E. coli. In this report we define the production and release of paf by E. coli cultured under different experimental conditions. When cultures were supplemented with lyso paf, a dramatic increase in...

Paf-acether (paf) is a potent mediator of inflammatory diseases and septic shock. Using normal-phase HPLC, a paf-like activity was found in culture supernatants from E. coli. Prokaryotic paf exhibited the same biological and physico-chemical properties as eukaryotic cells and synthetic paf. Further, reverse-phase HPLC indicates that paf generated b...

The synthesis and release of paf-acether by fibroblasts from normal human skin was investigated in vitro. When fibroblasts in suspension (1 X 10(6) cells) were stimulated with 2 microM Ca1+ ionophore A23187 (Io), they synthesized a material that aggregated aspirin-treated washed rabbit platelets and was identified as paf because 1) the platelet agg...

Paf-acether (platelet-activating factor) is a phospholipid initially described as a potent platelet-aggregating compound. It is produced by numerous cell types and is now considered as an important mediator of cell-cell interactions. The effect of paf-acether on the expression of CD2 and CD3, two human T cell surface glycoproteins, was investigated...

Paf-acether or platelet-activating factor (1-0-alkyl-2-acetyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine) is a phospholipid mediator of inflammation initially described as a potent platelet-aggregating compound. It is newly formed by a variety of cells including monocytes and is now recognized as a major mediator of cell-cell interactions. The present studies wer...

Paf-acether (platelet-activating factor) is one of the most potent mediator of inflammation released from and acting on most cells that participate in inflammatory diseases. Its molecular structure is 1-O-alkyl-2-O-acetyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine. Two metabolic steps are involved in its biosynthesis: the action of a phospholipase A2 on choline-c...

The T cell surface glycoproteins T4 and T8 are thought to mediate efficient cell-cell interactions in the immune system and in this way may be responsible for the appropriate targeting of subpopulations of T cells. We have used gene transfer combined with subtractive hybridization to isolate both cDNA and functional genomic clones encoding the T8 p...

The OKT1 (Leu-1) monoclonal antibody reacts with a 69 KD glycoprotein that is present on only a fraction of functionally mature thymocytes but is maintained on most peripheral T cells. In the study presented, we examined the role of this surface molecule in T cell function. We found that addition of the OKT1 antibody to B cells and autologous T4+ c...

The OKT4 monoclonal antibody reacts with a 62K m.w. glycoprotein present on a subset of human T cells with the capacity to help or induce B cell differentiation. The present studies were undertaken to determine whether the T4 molecule itself plays any role in the helper function mediated by T4+ cells. Using a series of monoclonal antibodies (OKT4,...

Human T-cell hybrids with helper activity were obtained after fusion of phytohemagglutinin-activated normal human T cells with a 6-thioguanine-resistant, aminopterin-sensitive human T-cell line. This mutant line, designated CEM-T15, was derived from the human T-cell line CEM after mutagenesis with ethyl methanesulfonate. The polyethylene glycol ind...

In the present study, we investigated the immunoregulatory potential of OKT8+ cells after in vitro activation. Initial studies had demonstrated that the T cell marker OKT4 identifies T cell sets containing helper cells, whereas OKT8 reacts with the suppressor and cytotoxic T cell effectors. More detailed analysis of the OKT4+ subset, however, demon...

The OKT4 monoclonal antibody reacts with a 62 KD cell surface glycoprotein present on a subset of human T cells with the capacity to help or induce B-cell differentiation. The OKT8 monoclonal antibody reacts with a 76 KD cell surface glycoprotein present on a subset of human T cells with the capacity to suppress B-cell differentiation. The current...

Our knowledge of human T cell differentiation and function has expotentially increased during recent years. With this growth in knowledge there has been an increase in our appreciation of the complexity of the T-T interactions which initiate and control immune responses. A great deal remains to be learned concerning the mechanisms of these complex...

Previous studies have suggested functional heterogeneity within the OKT4+ and the OKT8+ populations. For example, after activation the OKT4+ population contains not only helper cells but also cells capable of suppressing B cell differentiation. Previous studies also indicate that the reciprocal T cell population, OKT8+, does not provide helper acti...

In the present report, we characterize a monoclonal antibody directed at a surface differentiation antigen on human T cells. The monoclonal antibody, OKT17, recognizes a cell surface antigen present on the majority of resting normal peripheral T cells. In contrast, OKT17 is unreactive with normal B cells, B cell lines, T cell lines, or SIg+ CLL. In...

Human T cell hybrids were generated by fusing lectin-activated normal and leukemic human T cells with an aminopterin-sensitive human T cell line. This mutant cell line, designated CEM-T15, was derived from the human T cell line CEM after chemical mutagenesis with ethane methylsulfonate and subsequent culture in medium containing 6-thioguanine. Afte...

In this report, we explored the functional heterogeneity within the OKT4+ subset of human T cells. Evidence was obtained that although in vitro pokeweed mitogen-activated OKT4+ cells can function as radioresistant helper cells, these activated OKT4+ cells could also exert potent feedback suppression. Despite the induction of suppressor cells after...

In this report, we explored the functional heterogeneity within the OKT4+ subset of human T cells. Evidence was obtained that although in vitro pokeweed mitogen-activated OKT4+ cells can function as radioresistant helper cells, these activated OKT4+ cells could also exert potent feedback suppression. Despite the induction of suppressor cells after...

In the present report we extended our previous studies demonstrating that obligatory T-T interactions are important in regulating human immune responses in vitro. Functionally distinct human T cell subsets were isolated by complement-mediated lysis using the monoclonal antibodies OKT4 and OKT8. Evidence was obtained that during allogeneic interacti...

A monoclonal antibody, PVR-11, was obtained after hybridization of X63Ag8.653 murine myeloma cells with spleen cells from a mouse immunized with human lymphocytes. It recognizes a 175,000- to 185,000-dalton surface antigen present on approximately 80% of normal human peripheral T lymphocytes, 50% of non-T non-B cells, and less than 10% of B cells a...

TB and TT interactions involved in the regulation of human B cell differentiation were studied in vitro. The strategy employed here involved the isolation of OKT4+ and OKT8+ subsets and subsequent quantitative assessment of their effects on pokeweed mitogen (PWM) driven B cell differentiation as measured by the reverse hemolytic plaque assay. Thu...

T-B and T-T interactions involved in the regulation of PWM-triggered human B cell differentiation were studied in vitro. Functionally distinct human T cell subsets were isolated by C-mediated lysis by using the monoclonal antibodies OKT4 and OKT8. Graded numbers of either untreated or irradiated T cell subsets were added to autologous B cells, and...

Human PBL cells, sensitized in vitro to TNP or FITC-modified autologous stimulators, have been successfully grown in long-term culture by using TCGF derived from PHA-activated tonsil cells. Long-term cultures consist almost exclusively of T lymphocytes as defined by the formation of spontaneous rosettes with sheep erythrocytes and C-mediated lysis...