Minerva Med, 1978 Dec 15, 69(61), 4267 - 78 {Genital tuberculosis and sterility}; Giarola A et al.; PIP: The diagnosis of genital tuberculosis is a long and complicated process, necessitating ematological evaluations, biological tests, istological and radiological investigations, and, often, utero-tubal insufflation and culdoscopy . Over a period of 30 years about 294 patients with different forms of genital tuberculosis were observed in 3 marriage sterility centers in Milano, Italy . Out of this total the incidence of genital tuberculosis accounted for infertility in 5.03% of cases, of which 0.27% were in the active phase, and 4.76% in the latent phase . Depending on the disease, treatment with chemotherapy can be defined as: 1) attack therapy, using massive doses for 2-3 months in initially exudative forms, and in acute evolutions and/or recurrences; 2) basic therapy, for a period of 10-12 months in chronic and stationary periods; and, 3) consolidation therapy, in periodic cycles of 10-12 months when the cure is complete and to avoid relapses . Apart from clinical cure, the experience with the patients observed was not very encouraging (only 6 patients became pregnant) and confirmed similar results obtained by other authors . J Trop Med Hyg, 1978 Dec, 81(12), 246 - 7 Rifampicin in the treatment of tuberculous meningitis; Girgis NI et al.; Seventy-one patients diagnosed to have tuberculous meningitis were treated with isoniazid, streptomycin plus either rifampicin (36 patients or ethambutol (35 patients) . Results of therapy were identical in both treatment-groups (approximately 50 per cent mortality) . Rifampicin appears to be as effective as ethambutol in the treatment of this infection. Acta Pathol Microbiol Scand {B}, 1978 Dec, 86B(6), 321 - 6 The inhibitory effect of salt, cyanide and chloramphenicol on the uptake of streptomycin by Escherichia coli K 12; Nielsen PL; The uptake of tritium-labelled streptomycin by cells of Eschericia coli K 12 was shown to be only partly and transiently inhibited by the reported antagonists cyanide and chloramphenicol . After a lag, uptake of streptomycin took place in the presence of cyanide, although at a decreased rate . The lag was absent when cells were treated with cyanide some time before streptomycin . The cyanide-resistant transport system showed the same sensitivity to salt as the normal system . By increasing the salt content of the complex medium used, the uptake rate was decreased and several different phases in the uptake became detectable, including an early saturation phase of unknown nature . Uptake in a mineral salt medium was compared with that in complex medium, and differences in uptake were found explainable by differences in salt content . Chloramphenicol, in a concentration of 50 microgram/ml, was shown to permit an uptake rate (after a lag) of about one-fifth of the normal uptake rate in the complex medium . When the last rapid uptake phase, coincident with killing, was delayed by salt or cyanide, chloramphenicol had little or no effect on uptake . At higher concentrations, it enhanced the uptake and caused lysis of the bacteria . Based on the inhibition pattern produced by the inhibitors mentioned above, both alone and in combination, a hypothesis for the uptake of streptomycin by Escherichia coli is submitted. J Trop Med Hyg, 1978 Dec, 81(12), 238 - 42 Thiacetazone toxicity in the treatment of tuberculosis patients in Nigeria; Pearson CA; In a series of 1,212 tuberculosis patients treated on a regime of streptomycin/isoniazid/thiacetazone (S/INH/thiacetazone) over a period of 10 years in Nigeria there were 171 cases considered to have toxic reactions to thiacetazone (14%) . 134 of these (11%) were sufficient to require a change of treatment . Giddiness and rashes were the commonest effects, the former occurring mainly in association with streptomycin, and considered to be largely due to potentiation of streptomycin toxicity by thiacetazone . The advantages of the S/INH/thiacetazone regime in Nigeria are considered to outweigh the disadvantages, so long as necessary precautions are taken to keep the effects of toxicity to a minimum. J Antibiot (Tokyo), 1978 Dec, 31(12), 1233 - 7 A synthesis of dihydrostreptomycin; Yamasaki T et al.; A key protected streptidine derivative (3) useful for the synthesis of antibiotics of streptomycin series was prepared by hydrolysis of an acylated dihydrostreptomycin (DHSM) derivative (2), and it was condensed with a protected dihydrostreptobiosaminyl chloride (5) to give two condensation products (6 and 7) . By deblocking, 6 was led to DHSM and 7 to a biologically inactive isomer (8) of DHSM . From the PMR spectrum of 4-O-mesyl derivative (4) of 3, the benzyloxycarbonyl and acetyl groups were concluded to be attached to the end nitrogens of the guanidine groups. Eur J Biochem, 1978 Nov 2, 91(1), 193 - 9 DNA-dependent RNA polymerase from Halobacterium halobium; Zillig W et al.; DNA-dependent RNA polymerase core enzyme was isolated from Halobacterium halobium . The purification is based on the finding that the enzyme is stable in 40% (v/v) glycerol, in the presence of 0.05 M MgCl2 and involves adsorption of contaminants to DEAE-cellulose, precipitation of the complex of polymerase with DNA by streptomycin sulfate, chromatography over Biogel and affinity chromatography over heparin-Sepharose or heparin-cellulose . The enzyme consists of four or five different subunits . The composition formula was estimated as (150000) (86000)2 (72000)2 (49000)3 or 2; there may be one or two different 49000-Mr subunits . RNA synthesis requires a template . Denatured DNA is more efficient than native DNA . The transcription of native DNA is specifically stimulated by the addition of a possibly sigma-like factor eluted from DEAE-cellulose . The fidelity of transcription is indicated by the absolute requirement for UTP besides ATP with poly{d(A-T)} as the template. Am Rev Respir Dis, 1978 Nov, 118(5), 827 - 34 Cell-mediated immunity in anergic patients with pulmonary tuberculosis; McMurray DN et al.; Twelve adults with confirmed pulmonary tuberculosis who failed to respond to repeated skin tests with 250 TU of second-strength purified protein derivative of tuberculin were studied using in vivo and in vitro tests of cell-mediated immunity . All but 2 of the patients failed to respond to skin tests with candidin and histoplasmin, and only one could be sensitized with topical applications of dinitrochlorobenzene . The blastogenic response of peripheral blood lymphocytes from these anergic patients, when cultured in the presence of phytohemagglutinin, pokeweed mitogen, and purified protein derivative, was significantly less than that of lymphocytes from tuberculin-positive control patients . During the course of therapy with isoniazid and streptomycin, 6 of the anergic patients converted spontaneously and reacted positively to purified protein derivative . This skin-test conversion was accompanied by a significant increase in the blastogenic response of lymphocytes from the converted patients when cultured with purified protein derivate . Tuberculin anergy in these 12 patients was not associated with progessive, disseminated disease . All patients responded successfully to the primary chemotherapeutic regimen. Am J Clin Pathol, 1978 Nov, 70(5), 816 - 20 Combined vs . single-drug studies of susceptibilities of Mycobacterium kansasii to isoniazid, streptomycin, and ethambutol; Tsang AY et al.; The effects of combined drugs were compared uith the effects of single drugs in vitro against Mycobacterium kansasii . The single drugs isoniazid 1.0 microgram/ml, streptomycin 2.0 microgram/ml, and ethambutol 5.0 microgram/ml and the combinations of 1.0 microgram/ml isoniazid and 2.0 microgram/ml streptomycin, 1.0 microgram/ml isoniazid and 5.0 ethambutal and 1.0 microgram/ml isoniazid, 2.0 microgram/ml streptomycin and 5.0 microgram/ml ethambutol were evaluated as to their effects on M . kansasii organisms from 22 patients with pulmonary mycobacterial disease . These drugs were incorporated into Middlebrook 7H11 medium . Colonial growth was then observed and assigned numerical values for statistical analysis . The results showed that isoniazid was not significantly better than ethambutol . Streptomycin, however, was significantly better than both isoniazid and ethambutol alone . The double combinations were better than the single drugs, with isoniazid--streptomycin being better than isoniazid--ethambutol . The combination isoniazid--ethambutol was not significantly better than streptomycin alone . However, the triple combination of isoniazid--streptomycin--ethambutol was markedly better than all single drugs, better than isoniazid--ethambutol, but not better than isoniazid--streptomycin . Combined-drug testing thus showed a pattern of susceptibility not demonstrated by single-drug testing. Acta Otolaryngol, 1978 Nov-Dec, 86(5-6), 375 - 84 Single-cell layer membrane covering the degenerated cochlear duct after perilymphatic perfusion of streptomycin; Kaneko Y et al.; Ultrastructural changes of the extrasensory epithelium in the scala media of guinea pig cochleae were observed from 3 to 137 days after perilymphatic perfusion with 20% streptomycin . The degeneration started in the organ of Corti, progressed to the interdental cells and roots of the outer sulcus cells and finally involved other epithelial cells such as Claudius and the inner and outer sulcus cells . In the final stage, except for the stria vascularis and Reissner's membrane, all epithelial cells which lined the cochlear duct were replaced by a single-cell layer membrane which originated medianly from the epithelial cells of Reissner's membrane and laterally from the superficial outer sulcus cells. Infect Immun, 1978 Nov, 22(2), 393 - 402 Adherence of an enteropathogenic strain of Escherichia coli to human intestinal mucosa is mediated by a colicinogenic conjugative plasmid; Williams PH et al.; The capacity of a human enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) strain serotype O26:K60:H11, to adhere to the mucosa of the human fetal small intestine was shown to be plasmid mediated . Adherence was transferred at a high frequency in a long-term conjugal mating experiment to E . coli K-12 and was lost by treatment of the EPEC strain with the curing agent ethidium bromide . Analysis of radioactively labeled DNA from lysates of the EPEC, transconjugant, and cured strains indicated that adherence was correlated with the presence of plasmid DNA species with an approximate average molecular weight of 56 X 10(6) . Resistance to the antibiotics spectinomycin, streptomycin, sulfonamides, and tetracycline and production of colicin Ib were all transferred in long-term mating and lost upon curing coordinately with the property of adherence . In conjugal mating experiments of limited duration between E . coli K-12 strains, however, segregation of colicin production and mucosal adherence from multiple drug resistance was observed . Analysis of plasmid DNA of segregant transconjugant strains confirmed the presence in the 56 X 10(6)-dalton plasmid species of two previously unresolved components, pLG101 designating the ColIb plasmid which also carries the determinant for mucosal adherence and pLG102 representing the slightly smaller multiple drug resistance plasmid. Genetika, 1978 Nov, 14(11), 1863 - 75 {Genetic heteroduplex analysis of the R6K plasmid}; Iakubov LZ et al.; The results of genetic studies of R6K Tra1- and R6Kdelta{Sm1} mutants of R6K plasmid and those of heteroduplex analysis of DNAs have shown that DNA of this drug-resistant factor contains three loops flanked by the inverted repeats . The latter are designated as IR1, IR2 and IR3 and are of 50, 100 and 120 nucleotides in size respectively . IR1 is inserted into the loop flanked by IR2 . Loops with these two repeats are located in major EcoR1 fragment, IR3 having been found in minor EcoRI fragment of the plasmid . The evidence obtained from the analysis of heteroduplex R6K/RSF2124 has shown that the loop with IR1 is corresponding to transposon Tn3 . The extent of the deletion deltaSm1 indicates that IR2 may be a part of a transposon bearing the resistance to streptomycin . By comparing present data with those obtaine from the analysis of the RSF1040 factor of DNA replication initiation sites (Grosa et al., 1976), it has been suggested that the loop with IR3 represents a transposon with replicative functions (TnRep) . The deletion of the mutant plasmid R6Kdelta{Sm1} (7.2 . 10(6) daltons in size) which affected one of the EcoRI sites not only confers the sensitivity to streptomycin but enhances also the efficiency of conjugational transfer and results in the loss of the R6K ability to bring about integrative suppression and to inhibit the fertility of the plasmids from IncP and IncN groups . The deletion mutant proved to have lost the property of incompatibility with the initial plasmid R6K and with itself. Arch Otorhinolaryngol, 1978 Oct 31, 221(3), 171 - 82 The etiology of neurosensory hearing defects in preterm infants; Stennert E et al.; We retrospectively investigated the influence of gestational age, perinatal risk, and the duration of incubator care periods in 193 surviving preterm infants with a gestational age between 28 and 36 weeks raised in our intensive care nursery incubators from 1965--1967 . 24 (12.4%) of the children showed definite neurosensory hearing defects, which were particularly encountered in the high frequencies . No correlation could be substantiated between hearing difficulties and hyperbilirubinemia, streptomycin application and gestational age . This study does not support the assumption that the duration of noise exposure in currently used incubators is a major determinant for the development of deafness in otherwise healthy preterm infants . Our study did show, however, a strong correlation between the sum of all perinatal risk factors and neurosensory hearing loss. Arch Microbiol, 1978 Oct 4, 119(1), 65 - 70 Regulation of flavoprotein synthesis studied in vivo in a riboflavin-requiring mutant of Arthrobacter oxidans; Hamm HH et al.; The biosynthesis of two flavoproteins, 6-hydroxy-D-nicotine oxidase with covalently bound FAD and 6-hydroxy-L-nicotine oxidase containing non-covalently bound FAD, was studied in wild-type cells and in a riboflavin-requiring mutant of Arthrobacter oxidans . In the mutant cells, the rate of synthesis and the maximal activity level of both enzymes after induction by nicotine depended on the amount of added riboflavin . The low rate of synthesis in the presence of 2 micron riboflavin could be enhanced during the induction phase by further addition of riboflavin (33 micron) . Inhibitors of translation (chloramphenicol or streptomycin) completely blocked the synthesis of both flavoproteins . Inhibitors of transcription (rifamycin S or actinomycin D) stopped the synthesis of both enantiozymes in wild-type cells and in the mutant grown in the presence of a saturating supply of riboflavin (15 micron) . Under conditions of restricted flavoprotein synthesis (2 micron riboflavin in the medium), however, the mutant cells continued to synthesize the enzyme for 2--3 h after the addition of the transcription inhibitors . It appears, that in these cells a rather stable m-RNA accumulated during riboflavin-limited flavoprotein synthesis . The dependence of the effect of transcription inhibitors on the extracellular supply of riboflavin suggests that the regulation of the synthesis of both flavoproteins occurs not only by control of gene expression (induction by nicotine), but also at the level of translation through the availability of FAD. Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol, 1978 Oct, (10), 73 - 6 {Antigenic makeup of the protective fractions of S . typhimurium}; Vaneeva NP et al.; The authors present the results of chemical and immunochemical study of 4 protective fractions (Grasset's antigens, hydroxylamine vaccines, surface antigens, and Boivin's antigens) isolated from the virulent S . typhimurium strain, and of suppressor revertant obtained from streptomycin-dependent mutant of the initial strain . Despite some differences in their chemical and antigenic composition, Grasset's antigens, surface antigens fraction, and hydroxylamine vaccine contained the main cell protective substances and could be used (after further study) as vaccines for enteral immunization . On the basis of the results of chemical analysis and the study of Boivin's antigens antigenic structure it is supposed that O-antigen was changed in the revertant strain. Arch Otorhinolaryngol, 1978 Sep 28, 221(2), 149 - 52 10 years of experience with intratympanally applied streptomycin (gentamycin) in the therapy of Morbus Menière; Beck C et al.; During the last 10 years a total of 83 patients with severe cases of unilateral Morbus Meniere were treated in our clinic . The proposed therapy was to administer streptomycin (gentamycinsulfate) intratympanically by applying two different ways of procedure . In the first group of 40 patients we attempted to destroy the vestibular organ without harming the cochlea whereby we avoided surgical intervention . In the second group of 43 patients we integrated more recent findings in the pathophysiological mechanism underlying the pathogenesis of Morbus Meniere into our therapeutic considerations and attempted to exclusively destroy the secretorial epithelium with minimal dosages of aminoclycoside antibiotics . The results after treatment were clearly better for the second group of patients. J Assoc Off Anal Chem, 1978 Sep, 61(5), 1098 - 1102 Determination of streptomycin residues in eggs and stability of residues after cooking; Inglis JM et al.; An assay procedure for streptomycin was developed, using a surfactant-pH 8 buffer extraction, heating at 85 degrees C to eliminate inhibition from lysozyme activity, and centrifuging to remove physical barriers to diffusion . Recoveries of streptomycin from supplemented eggs averaged 42% over the range of 0.33--2.05 microgram streptomycin/g egg . Eggs were supplemented at 3.0, 30.0, and 300 microgram streptomycin/g and subjected to various cooking procedures: frying, poaching, scrambling, and hard boiling . There was little or no loss of activity as a result of the various cooking procedures with the exception of one of the hard boiled varieties where there was a 40% loss only at the 3.0 microgram/g supplementation . Streptomycin residues were quite stable to normal egg preparation procedures. J Bacteriol, 1978 Sep, 135(3), 888 - 94 Dark hexose metabolism by photoautotrophically and heterotrophically grown cells of the blue-green alga (Cyanobacterium) Nostoc sp . strain Mac; Bottomley PJ et al.; Photoautotrophically grown cells of the blue-green alga (cyanobacterium) Nostoc sp . strain Mac assimilated and oxidized both glucose and fructose in the dark at different rates . The rate of fructose metabolism in these cells could be stimulated by casein hydrolysate, the effect being most pronounced at low sugar concentrations . This stimulation was not seen in cells grown heterotrophically in the dark, suggesting that it is a transitory phenomenon which disappears during the autotrophy-heterotrophy growth transition . The stimulation of fructose assimilation by casein hydrolysate was abolished by chloramphenicol or streptomycin, suggesting there are rate-limiting steps in protein biosynthesis in the dark that ultimately lead to inhibition of fructose uptake . Glucose metabolism did not show these phenomena, indicating there are differences in the metabolism of the two sugars. Mycopathologia, 1978 Jul 28, 63(2), 127 - 8 Red grain mycetoma of the scalp (Actinomadura pelletieri) . A case report from India; Bedi TR et al.; A case of red grain mycetoma on the scalp is described . The disease, caused by Actinomadura pelletieri, is extremely rare in this part of the world, and from India this is perhaps the first case with scalp involvement . The lesion showed satisfactory response to partial excision followed by chemotherapy with streptomycin. Mol Gen Genet, 1978 Jul 25, 163(3), 277 - 83 A new conditional lethal mutator (dnaQ49) in Escherichia coli K12; Horiuchi T et al.; A conditional lethal mutator, dnaQ49, was found in Escherichia coli K12 . The dnaQ49 mutation caused stimulation of rifampicin-, nalidixic acid- and streptomycin-resistant mutation frequencies 100 to 2000 fold at 30 degrees C and the frequencies were further increased 50 to 100 fold at 35 degrees C or higher temperatures . Cells carrying dnaQ49 were unable to grow in salt-free L-broth at 44.5 degrees C, and DNA synthesis but not protein synthesis of the cells was suppressed under the restrictive conditions . The dnaQ gene was located at about 5 min on the E . coli linkage map and the order of the genes residing in this region was determined to be ton A-dnaE-metD-dnaQ-pro A. Am Rev Respir Dis, 1978 Jul, 118(1), 39 - 48 Controlled clinical trial of four short-course regimens of chemotherapy for two durations in the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis: first report: Third East African/British Medical Research Councils study; Sulfisoxazole-induced thrombocytopenic purpura . Immunologic mechanism as cause; During treatment of brucellosis with sulfisoxazole, tetracycline, and streptomycin sulfate, severe thrombocytopenic purpura developed in a young farmer . Verification for an immune mechanism was provided by clinical challenge with a small dose of sulfisoxazole that caused recurrence of thrombocytopenia and by serologic laboratory test results that detected a serum factor causing platelet agglutination requiring the presence of sulfisoxazole . The original antigenic stimulation was considered to come from drinking cows' milk contaminated with sulfonamide drugs . Cross-reactivity with some other sulfonamide drugs was demonstrated. Eur J Biochem, 1978 Jun 15, 87(2), 215 - 20 A barley endonuclease specific for apurinic DNA . Isolation and partial characterization; Svachulova J et al.; An endonuclease specific for depurinated native DNA was isolated and partially purified from extracts of barley leaves . The procedure included streptomycin sulphate precipitation, ammonium sulphate fractionation, phosphocellulose, hydroxyapatite and Sephadex G-150 chromatography . Purity of the resulting enzyme was determined by gel electrophoresis and gel chromatography and specificity by testing the activity on intact and depurinated bacterial DNAs . At lower concentrations, the enzyme is specific for DNA containing apurinic sites . At higher concentrations, however, it degrades DNA in a non-specific manner . The nuclease has a pH optimum at 7.6, and a molecular weight of about 18000. Mol Gen Genet, 1978 Jun 14, 162(2), 157 - 62 Evidence for translational repression of arginine biosynthetic enzymes in Escherichia coli: altered regulation in a streptomycin-resistant mutant; Vogel RH et al.; The formation and repressibility of the arginine biosyntietic enzymes acetylornithine delta-aminotransferase (EC 2.6.1.11), acetylornithine deacetylase (EC 3.5.1.16), ornithine carbamoyltransferase (EC 2.1.3.3), and argininosuccinate lyase (EC 4.3.2.1) were studied in an Escherichia coli W derivative (strain 250-10) that carries (a) a mutant allele of the argR regulatory gene causing a diminished repression-derepression range and (b) a streptomycin resistance mutation . In comparison with the streptomycin-sensitive parent 250, all four enzymes (a) are formed as smaller proportions of the total protein (overall range, 12% to 71%), whether the conditions are repressive (arginine excess) or derepressive (arginine restriction), and (b) show increased repressibility ratios, the carbamoyltransferase giving the largest increase (from 5.7 to 25.0) . These effects appear to depend on the concurrent expression of the regulatory-gene and streptomycin resistance mutations, as indicated by analogous experiments with canavanine-resistant mutants of 250-10 that have partial argR- character . The results provide evidence for translational repression in the arginine system, and are interpreted in terms of a functional interaction of a mutant arginine repressor with a mutant S12 ribosomal protein . The locale of translational repression may be near the site of S12, and this mode of regulation may involve initiational selectivity of groupwise recognizable arginine messenger RNA's. Tubercle, 1978 Jun, 59(2), 79 - 105 A controlled trial of anterior spinal fusion and débridement in the surgical management of tuberculosis of the spine in patients on standard chemotherapy: a study in two centres in South Africa . Seventh Report of the Medical Research Council Working Party on tuberculosis of the spine; Resistance relationships in Mycobacterium smegmatis ATCC 607 to phages sensitive or resistant to both chloroform and streptomycin sulphate; Four of eight mycobacteriophages did not form plaques after they were exposed to chloroform . Phages sensitive to chloroform did not produce plaques when plated on media containing 1000 microgram/ml of streptomycin sulphate . The same concentration of dihydrostreptomycin sulphate did not interfere with plaque formation . Mutants of Mycobacterium smegmatis resistant to each of the eight phages were isolated . Sensitivity or resistance to chloroform and streptomycin sulphate and phage resistant bacterial mutants may provide a basis for classifying the mycobacteriophages. Acta Otolaryngol, 1978 May-Jun, 85(5-6), 360 - 2 {Streptomycin-induced damage of the spiral ganglion}; Wicke W et al.; The neuronal density in the spiral ganglion was investigated in normal and in streptomycin-intoxicated guinea pigs . Streptomycin was administered in a dose of 250 mg/kg for 21 days . 6 weeks after the streptomycin exposure a histological examination revealed a decrease in ganglion cell density in the spiral ganglion, with maximum loss in the apical portion of the ganglion . As mechanisms of the ototoxic effect, a secondary degeneration of spiral ganglion cells after hair cell loss or a primary neurotoxic degeneration are discussed. Can J Microbiol, 1978 May, 24(5), 502 - 11 Intracellular levels of guanosine 5'-diphosphate 3'-diphosphate (ppGpp) and guanosine 5'-triphosphate 3'-diphosphate (pppGpp) in cultures of Streptomyces griseus producing streptomycin; An G et al.; Guanosine 5'-diphosphate 3'-diphosphate (ppGpp) and guanosine 5'-triphosphate 3'-diphosphate (pppGpp) were identified in the vegative mycelium of Streptomyces griseus . Adenosine 5'-diphosphate 3'-diphosphate (ppApp) and adenosine 5'-triphosphate 3'-diphosphate (pppApp) were not present but several other phosphorus-containing compounds which may have been inorganic polyphosphates were detected . During exponential growth of S . griseus the concentrations of ppGpp and pppGpp were several times higher than in the stationary stage . They fell sharply when exponential growth ended and then remained at an almost constant basal level . For the tetraphosphate the maximum concentration was about 50, and for the basal level about 10, pmol per millilitre of a culture with an optical density of 1.0 . Production of streptomycin started several hours after exponential growth had ended and the concentrations of ppGpp and pppGpp had fallen . Streptomycin synthesis was delayed if the cells were resuspended just before production started in fresh medium lacking phosphate, but it was not delayed by glucose starvation . Both cultures, as well as cultures transferred to nitrogen-free medium, showed an immediate increase in ppGpp content to about four-fold the basal level . The results suggest that the guanosine polyphosphates do not directly control initiation of streptomycin production in S . griseus . Twelve additional species of Streptomyces examined all contained ppGpp and pppGpp. J Clin Microbiol, 1978 May, 7(5), 474 - 8 Catalase-negative Escherichia coli isolated from blood; Funada H et al.; A catalase-negative variant of Escherichia coli was isolated from the blood of a patient with acute leukemia who had been treated with various antibiotics and gentamicin . This small-colony variant grew almost as actively under anaerobic conditions as its large-colony revertant or E . coli NIHJ JC-2 . The variant was resistant to gentamicin, in contrast with the revertant . Streptomycin and hemin stimulated growth of the variant slightly . With repeated subculturing the variant tended to increase slightly in colony size with coincident recovery of weak catalase production . The possibility that such a variant may have been induced by gentamicin was indicated. Biochim Biophys Acta, 1978 Apr 19, 540(1), 55 - 64 A protease-like permeability factor in the guinea pig skin . 1 . Partial purification and characterization; Yamamoto T et al.; A permeability factor was extracted in a latent form from guinea pig skin and separated by ammonium sulfate fractionation into the pseudoglobulin fraction (30--50% saturation) . The activation of the latent form of the permeability factor seemed to be caused in the desalting step by gel filtration with Sephadex G-50 . The factor was partially purified by streptomycin treatment and column chromatography using hydroxyapatite, diethylaminoethyl cellulose and Sephadex G-75, in this order . Gel filtration showed that its molecular weight was approx . 35000 . Its permeability activity was heat stable at 61 degrees C for 60 min at neutral pH, resistant at pH 5--10 and at ionic strengths from deionized water to 1 M NaCl at 4 degrees C . Its activity was transient and suppressed by guinea pig serum, but insensitive to an anti-histamic agent (triprolidine) . Furthermore, its permeability activity was inhibited by diisopropylfluorophosphate, soybean trypsin inhibitor and leupeptin, and completely adsorbed by soybean trypsin inhibitor affinity column . These findings suggested that the permeability factor was a serine-type protease. Mol Gen Genet, 1978 Apr 17, 160(3), 319 - 24 Ability of chloramphenicol to suppress phenotypically some bacterial mutations; Kuhrova V et al.; Chloramphenicol (CLP) at slightly inhibitory concentrations (3-5 microgram/ml) suppresses the inhibition of DNA synthesis and cell division caused by the temperature sensitive mutation dnaE486 at the nonpermissive temperature . Some other mutations can also be phenotypically suppressed by CLP . A similar effect is shown by chlortetracycline . Phenotypic suppression is caused by both these drugs in different cases than by streptomycin. Nippon Yakurigaku Zasshi, 1978 Apr, 74(3), 419 - 26 {Application of a response duration schedule in rats to evaluate drug-induced auditory impairment (author's transl)}; Kameyama T et al.; Determination of auditory threshold was carried out under a response duration schedule of tone and/or light-dipper presentation . This schedule enabled an exact assessment of auditory sensitivity, since the direction and distance from rat to sound source were constant and the rat could thus acquire the conditioned behavior in a short time . The rat has to press the lever and hold it until a CS(tone and/or light) was presented . The animal could get water-reinforcement with release of the lever during the period of CS . The intensity of 3 KHz pure tone was reduced, from 110 dB (starting point), by 2 dB steps in each trial, until the subject made 3 non-response trials (i.e., no dipper approach within 0.7 sec after the tone onset) among 5 trials . The highest tone intensity among non-response trials was taken as the threshold . The auditory sensitivity of the rats with cotton-stuffed ears and the pierced eardrums decreased about 10 and 20 dB, respectively . The auditory sensitivity in rats was decreased by administration of streptomycin sulfate(SM), 300 mg/kg/day, i.m., in combination with ethacrynic acid(EA), 50 mg/kg/day, p.o., for forty days and in combination with EA, 100 mg/kg/day, p.o . for ten days . The auditory sensitivity was not influenced by administration of SM, 300 mg/kg/day, i.m., for forty days. Antibiotiki, 1978 Apr, 23(4), 308 - 13 {Interaction of streptidin-dependent Actinomyces streptomycini (Streptomyces griseus) mutants No . 170 and 145 with mutants having blocks at various stages of streptomycin biosynthesis}; Krasil'nikova OL et al.; In complementation analysis of low active streptidine dependent strains of Act . streptomycini, 170 and 145 with mutants having different blocks in biosynthesis of streptomycin it was found that these strains were the donors of some thermostable substances and could reduce the biosynthesis of streptomycin in the mutants having impairements in biosynthesis of streptidine and streptobiosamine, as well as in a number of strains with unknown blocks . It is supposed that the substances produced by mutants 170 and 145 were intermediate products in streptomycin biosynthesis. Am Rev Respir Dis, 1978 Apr, 117(4), 631 - 7 Rapid radiometric susceptibility testing of Mycobacterium tuberculosis; Kertcher JA et al.; A 48-hour radiometric test for determining the drug susceptibility of Mycobacterium tuberculosis has been developed . The test is based on the measurement of 14CO2 produced by the oxidation of formate labeled with carbon-14 . The test system uses 5 X 10(7) organisms in 1 ml of Middlebrook 7H9 medium plus albumin-dextrose-catalase enrichment and 1 muCi of {14C}formate . The 14CO2 produced is measured in an ionization chamber at 24-, 48-, and 72-hour intervals, with and without the addition of antituberculous drugs . Isoniazid, streptomycin, rifampin, and ethambutol were each tested at 3 concentrations by the radiometric method and the reference (agar dilution) method . Six standard strains and 21 patient isolates were compared by both methods . Production of 14CO2 was quantitatively decreased in the presence of drugs that inhibit the organism . The radiometric method requires 2 days; the agar dilution, 14 to 21 days. J Bacteriol, 1978 Mar, 133(3), 1254 - 62 Physiological factors involved in the transformation of Mycobacterium smegmatis; Norgard MV et al.; Transfer of streptomycin resistance and changes from methionine and leucine auxotrophy to prototrophy were achieved in Mycobacterium smegmatis by transformation . Recipient cells were more resistant to mitomycin C and methyl methlanesulfonate treatments than were wild-type cells . A high level of calcium ions was essential for transformation, especially during DNA adsorption, whereas the presence of magnesium ions and the exposure of recipient cells to mild doses of UV light enhanced recombination frequencies . Transformants were not isolated when recipient cell-DNA mixtures were first treated with deoxyribonuclease . Recipient cells at various stages of growth showed similar transformabilities . Transformation was successful only when recipient cells were incubated on rich agar medium after mixture with DNA . Exposure of recipient cells to Pronase before treatment with donor DNA did not affect transformation, suggesting the absence of a protein competence factor . Throughout the present experiments, cotransformation frequencies were very low and unselected-marker segregation patterns were independent, indicating that the methionine, leucine, and streptomycin markers are not closely linked in M . smegmatis. Tubercle, 1978 Mar, 59(1), 1 - 12 Impact of anti-tuberculosis legislation in Libya on the prevalence of primary and acquired resistance to the three main drugs at a majortuberculosis centre; Khalil A et al.; The effect of legislative actions taken in 1973 on the prevalence of primary and acquired drug resistance was studied from the records on the Regional Tuberculosis and Chest Diseases Centre in Benghazi during the period June 1971 to August 1976 . There were available for analysis 771 culture-positive cases of newly diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis in Libyan nationals, and 789 cases of both Libyan nationals and others with positive cultures during treatment . The legislative actions included screening of all foreign and local workers for tuberculosis before employment or in the course of employement for those already employed and strict control of the use of antituberculosis drugs, which were not made available to private practitioners, private pharmacies, general dispensaries and general hospitals . The proportion of newly diagnosed cases with resistance to one or more of the 3 drugs streptomycin, isoniazid, PAS (resistance to PAS was negligible, occurring in only 0.7% of the whole series) during the first 3 months of the survey was 16.6% . During the first 9 3-month periods there was a small decrease of 0.15% per quarter . However, after adoption of the antituberculosis measures in mid-1973 the rate of decline accelerated to 0.61% per quarter, a 4-fold increase over the earlier rates (P less than 0.001 for comparison of rates) . If the rate of decline observed in the first 9 quarters had continued unchanged the expected proportion resistant at the end of the period would have been 13.5%, compared with the observed proportion of 8.6% . The proportion of patients under treatment from whom resistant cultures were isolated was 33.3% in the first quarter . It remained at about this level until the 14th quarter, approximately a year after the legislation came into force, when the proportion began to decline . By the end of the period it was only 14.7%. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 1978 Mar, 75(3), 1384 - 8 Isolation and characterization of enterotoxin-deficient mutants of Escherichia coli; Silva ML et al.; The genes controlling the production of two types of enterotoxin of Escherichia coli, one heat-labile (LT) and the other heat-stable (ST), are found on plasmids . The absence of a direct selection procedure has made it difficult to isolate mutants affecting toxin production . However, the availability of a naturally occurring "recombinant" plasmid, carrying genes for LT and ST formation and also for resistance to tetracycline, streptomycin, and sulfonamides, made it possible to use comutagenesis with N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine to enrich for such mutants . We have isolated and characterized 58 LT- mutants and 7 ST- mutants . Among the LT- group we found amber mutants, temperature-sensitive mutants (most of which produce unusually heat-labile LT), and "leaky" mutants with reduced LT activity . The majority of the tested LT- mutants produced immunologically crossreacting material, in most cases in wild-type amounts . Among all 17 of the LT- mutants that could be transferred, the mutation was found to be on the plasmid . In contrast, only one of four transferrable ST- mutants appeared to be a plasmid mutant. Br J Anaesth, 1978 Mar, 50(3), 251 - 4 Tobramycin and neuromuscular transmission in the rat isolated phrenic nerve-diaphragm preparation; de Rosayro M et al.; The effects of different concentrations of tobramycin, streptomycin, neomycin and gentamicin on the rat isolated phrenic nerve-diaphragm preparation are reported . Streptomycin, neomycin and gentamicin produced dose-dependent neuromuscular blockade . Tobramycin increased the muscle response at high concentrations (6.4 X 10(-4) - 2.6 X 10(-2) mol litre-1, but had no detectable effect when used in therapeutically recommended concentrations. Acta Pathol Microbiol Scand {B}, 1978 Feb, 86(1), 51 - 2 Bovine protothecosis . A brief report of ten cases; Bodenhoff J et al.; Prototheca zopfii was isolated repeatedly from milk samples from ten cows (of a herd of 192 dairy cows) with reduced milk yield and indurated mammary glands . The strain was moderately sensitive to streptomycin, polymyxin and gentamycin, but resistant or relatively resistant to other antibiotics and antimycotics commonly used in clinical practice . An attempt to treat the infection with Ethidium bromide, which was found effective in vitro, did not succeed . The number of Prototheca excreted decreased, but a complete cure was not obtained . In histological sections of the udder, Prototheca cells were demonstrated both intracellularly and interstitially. Pharmazie, 1978 Feb-Mar, 33(2-3), 113 - 6 Relationship between the blood concentration of the drug and its cumulative effect: a pharmacokinetic analysis of the nephrotoxic action of gentamicin and streptomycin; Soloviev VN et al.; The general principle of dependence of cumulative effects on drug concentration in the blood is proposed . The registered response is regarded as a result of the dual effect of drug blood level and duration of action . The corresponding experimental design consists in maintaining the serum concentration values at several definite levels and determining the response values for each of them . The constant serum level of the drug could be achieved by means of continuous infusion calculated according to the pharmacokinetic model . This principle was proved in the acute experiments on cats which established a relationship between the nephrotoxic effect of gentamicin and streptomycin on the one hand and their concentration in the serum and duration of action on the other. Mol Gen Genet, 1978 Jan 17, 158(3), 217 - 24 Mapping of the resistance genes of the R plasmid NR1; Miki T et al.; The drug resistance genes on the r-determinants component of the composite R plasmid NR1 were mapped on the EcoRI restriction endonuclease fragments of the R plasmid by cloning the fragments using the plasmid RSF2124 as a vector . The sulfonamide (Su) and streptomycin/spectinomycin (Sm/Sp) resistance genes are located on EcoRI fragment G of NR1 . The expression of resistance to mercuric ions (Mer) requires both EcoRI fragment H and I of NR1 . The expression of chloramphenicol (Cm) and fusidic acid (Fus) resistance requires EcoRI fragments A and J of NR1 . The kan fragment of the related R plasmid R6-5 can substitute for Eco RI fragment J of NR1 in the expression of Cm and Fus resistance . The structural genes for Cm and Fus resistance appear to be a part of an operon whose expression is controlled by the same promoter. Microbiol Immunol, 1978, 22(7), 367 - 75 Plasmid-mediated sulfanilamide resistance; Nagate T et al.; Dihydropteroate synthetase (DHPS) is specified by a substrain of Escherichia coli K12, ML1410 . This enzyme activity is inhibited by sulfanilamides (Sa) and is known to be heat-stable, i.e., an Sa-sensitive normal enzyme . Another DHPS activity specified by E . coli ML1410 carrying drug resistance plasmids is Sa-resistant but heat-sensitive, i.e., an Sa-resistant enzyme . Most plasmids encoding single Sa or double (Sa . Tc or Sa . Sm) (Tc, tetracycline; Sm, streptomycin) resistance mediate the formation of this type of DHPS . Therefore, E . coli carrying these plasmids becomes diploid for DHPS, i.e., an Sa-resistant and an Sa-sensitive normal enzyme . The biochemical mechanism of Sa resistance mediated by plasmids encoding triple (Cm.Sm.Sa; Tc.Sm.Sa) and quadruple (Cm.Tc.Sm.Sa) resistance is not due to the formation of an altered DHPS but probably due to the decrease in permeation of the drug into the cell . The evolutionary process of the formation of Sa-resistance determinants on plasmids is discussed based on the presence of two types of Sa resistance mechanism. Infection, 1978, 6(4), 162 - 5 Binding of sisomicin and streptomycin to human albumin; Scholtan W et al.; The aminoglycosides of the kanamycin and neomycin series are displaced from their protein binding by very low Ca++ ion concentrations, whereas streptomycin is displaced only by very high Ca++ ion concentrations . For streptomycin, therefore, the binding mechanism must differ from that for the other aminoglycosides . The displacing reaction cannot be described by the law of mass action, combining the binding equations . Several possible reasons, such as complex formation and changes in the conformation of albumin, are discussed . Complex formation between sisomicin and the lanthanide ion Nd+++, which has the same ionic radius as the Ca++ ion, could be excluded by recording the difference absorption spectrum . The displacement of the aminoglycosides from their protein binding by Ca++ ions (as well as the pH dependence of the protein binding) suggests that ionic bonds are involved in the interactions between aminoglycosides and serum proteins. Avian Dis, 1978 Jan-Mar, 22(1), 61 - 70 Protection of day-old poults against Arizona hinshawii challenge by preincubation streptomycin egg treatment; Mayeda B et al.; Poults were protected against challenge with Arizona hinshawii 7:1,7,8 inoculated into the yolk sac 30 hours post-hatching by preincubation streptomycin treatment of turkey eggs, administered by temperature-differential egg dipping in a solution composed of 250 ppm of a quaternary ammonium compound, 10 ppm of ethylenediaminetraacetate and streptomycin at 9 mg per ml . Mortalities at 17 hours and 22 days postchallenge were respectively 8% and 44% in poults from treated eggs vs 47% and 93% from untreated eggs . Liver isolation rates at 17 hours and 22 days postchallenge were respectively 0% and 16% in poults from treated eggs, vs 71% and 80% from untreated eggs. J Int Med Res, 1978, 6(4), 286 - 99 Netilmicin: a review of toxicity in laboratory animals; Luft FC; The data on the toxicity of netilmicin in laboratory animals as well as preliminary data in man are reviewed . Netilmicin is less toxic to the VIIIth nerve than is gentamicin in all species tested . The data suggest that it probably is less ototoxic than tobramycin, although confirmatory studies should be performed . Netilmicin is also nephrotoxic than gentamicin in all species tested . It is less nephrotoxic than tobramycin in the rat and dog . Comparisons in the rat suggest that netilmicin has a flat dose--response curve that resembles the curve produced by streptomycin . In animals, netilmicin produces more neuromuscular blockade than gentamicin; however, neuromuscular blockade with aminoglycosides in man is rare and thus far no episodes have been associated with netilmicin during clinical investigation . Initial clinical studies in man indicate that netilmicin is efficacious and well tolerated . Presently available data suggest that netilmicin offers distinct advantages over older aminoglycosides . Final conclusions must await prospective randomized double-blind trials in man. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 1978 Jan, 75(1), 275 - 9 Streptomycin causes misreading of natural messenger by interacting with ribosomes after initiation; Tai PC et al.; The induction of misreading by streptomycin in vitro, previously observed with synthetic messengers, is now demonstrated with natural (endogenous or viral) messenger by the use of extracts of temperature sensitive mutants lacking Glu--tRNA or Val--tRNA synthetase . With chain-elongating but noninitiating ribosomes (i.e., purified polysomes) deprived of an aminoacyl--tRNA, streptomycin and other aminoglycosides, over a wide range of concentrations, stimulate incorporation . With ribosomes initiating in the presence of streptomycin stimulation is also observed but it is restricted, just like phenotypic suppression in cells, to very low streptomycin concentrattions which evidently allow some ribosomes to initiate and later encounter them in the course of chain elongation . The stimulation is accompanied by an increase in the size of the products; hence, it is evidently due to substitution of an incorrect aminoacyl--tRNA for a missing one . The test introduced here also has revealed a misreading effect of streptomycin on resistant ribosomes . In addition, significant intrinsic misreading was observed without streptomycin, indicating that under optimal conditions for in vitro protein synthesis an empty codon is frequently read by an incorrect aminoacyl--tRNA. Genetika, 1978, 14(1), 145 - 53 {Genetic study of plasmid-associated high-frequency mutations to streptomycin resistance in Escherichia coli}; Belokrysenko SS; Escherichia coli CTR1(RT1)RHfm1) carrying two H-factors and having unusually high frequency of mutation to high level streptomycin resistance is studied . The high frequency of mutation (about 10(-6) to streptomycin resistance is connected with the presence of R factor RHfm1, controlling the resistance to chloramphenicol and low level streptomacin resistance, but not with RT1, controlling the resistance to tetracycline . Spontaneous or ethidium bromide-induced loss of RHfm1 is accompanied by a decrease of the mutation frequency to 10(-9) . RHfm1 is efficiently transmissible to other strains at 28 degrees C . The acquisition of RHfm1 by strains of E . coli K-12 ans S . typhimurium LT2 was followed by a 1000--10000-fold increase of the frequejcy of mutation to streptomycin resistance . Some streptomycin resistant mutants were isolated, and chromosome location of the mutations was demonstrated . The streptomycin resistant mutants were unable to transmit high level of resistance to streptomycin with R factor, but only low level one . The loss of RHfm1 by streptomycin resistant mutants was accompanied by the return to the streptomycin sensitivity of the initial R- strans (E . coli K-12 mutants) or by a decrease of the streptomycin resistance to the level, only 2-fold higher than that of R- wild type (E . coli CTR1 mutant) . Thus, the mutantions had practically no effect on streptomycin resistance of R- strains, but could lead to high resistance phenotypes in the presence of RHfm1 . The mutant loci in all three studied strains were found to be closely linked to the locus "fus" on the genetic map of E . coli. J Bacteriol, 1978 Jan, 133(1), 1 - 9 A colI-specified product, synthesized in newly infected recipients, limits the amount of DNA transferred during conjugation of Escherichia coli K-12; Boulnois GJ et al.; The amount of ColI DNA transferred between mating cells of Escherichia coli K-12 increased about fourfold when rifampin-resistant donors were mated with sensitive recipients in the presence of the drug . Conjugational synthesis of ColI in dnaB recipients, shown primarily to reflect conversion of the transferred DNA into double-stranded material, was also enhanced when the recipients were treated with either rifampin or streptomycin . It is suggested that the amount of ColI transfer is normally limited by the synthesis of one or more proteins in the newly infected recipients . The protein is thought to be plasmid-specified because rifampin also quadrupled transfer to UV-irradiated recipients which were deficient in the transcription of the resident DNA . Successive strands of ColI appear to be transferred discontinuously, because the transferred DNA accumulated in normal and rifampin-treated recipients in the form of circular and linear monomeric units . Although rifampin treatment of recipients also increased transfer of a second Ialpha plasmid, R144drd-3, by about four times, the drug failed to cause a substantial increase of Flac transfer in comparable matings. Arch Invest Med (Mex), 1978, 9 Suppl 1, 229 - 32 {Culture and establishment of new Mexican Strains of Entamoeba histolytica}; Perez de Suarez E et al.; Mixed and monoxenic cultures of rectal exudates from three patients with amebiasis of colon, and of feces from three asymptomatic carriers of Entamoeba histolytica obtained after administration of a saline cathartic, and from a case of exudate of the perianal cutaneous lesion border produced by this parasite, were done . The culture media used were for: mixed culture, Boeck and Drbohlav modified culture and, for monoxenic culture, Diamond's monophasic TP-S-1 medium without vitamin mixture and using bovine serum . In order to inhibit the bacterial growth in the mixed culture, streptomycin sulphate and pencillin G were used . In order to eliminate the bacterial flora kanamicin sulphate, chloramphenicol, gentamycin and disodic carbenicillin were added . Mixed cultures of seven strains of Entamoeba histolytica were obtained: HM22:IMSS, HM23:IMSS, HM24:IMSS, HM26:IMSS, HM27:IMSS, HM28:IMSS y HM29:IMSS, and monoxenic culture with Bacteroids symbiosus of the strains HM22:IMSS and HM27:IMSS, with a previous adaptation in mixed culture . The adaptation of HM26:IMSS strain in monoxenic culture was obtained by means of direct seeding of the rectal exudate with Fusobacterium symbiosus. J Bacteriol, 1978 Jan, 133(1), 422 - 3 Elevated cyclic AMP concentration in streptomycin-dependent Escherichia coli; Polglase WJ et al.; Streptomycin-dependent Escherichic coli B and K-12 cultures, which have relaxed catabolite repression when grown to glucose-salts medium, have an elevated concentration of cyclic AMP. Acta Biol, 1978, 29(2), 165 - 71 Genetic relatedness between streptomycin-producing and non-producing strains of Streptomyces griseus, studied by means of DNA-DNA hybridization; Feher Z et al.; DNA-DNA hybridization was studied in order to determine the genetic relatedness between a streptomycin-producing and a non-producing mutant of Streptomyces griseus . The latter strain of short vegetative life cycle had been developed from the streptomycin-producing strain by means of nitrogen mustard treatment . Since the two strains differ in several features, we were prompted to examine the sequence homology between their DNAs . Hybridization experiments carried out with the membrane filter method yielded 73.8% and 67.3% DNA homology values, respectively . The results indicate that there is a significant, but not very close, relatedness between the DNA sequences that corresponds to the similarities and differences observed between the phenotypes of the two strains . Further aspects of established homology are also discussed. Acta Microbiol Acad Sci Hung, 1978, 25(3), 229 - 31 High molecular weight ribosomal ribonucleic acid from vegetative hyphae and spores of Streptomyces griseus; Valu G et al.; High molecular weight ribosomal ribonucleic acids (rRNAs) were isolated from young vegetative cells and spores of a streptomycin non-producing Streptomyces griseus, and their electrophoretic mobility was compared to each other and to that of rRNAs of Escherichia coli K-12 . The electrophoretic mobility of 23 and 16S rRNAs from vegetative cells and spores of S . griseus was identical, but the 23S rRNAs of streptomyces ribosomes migrated more slowly on polyacrylamide gel than those of E . coli ribosomes . Intact, electrophoretically homogenous rRNAs could be isolated from S . griseus (No . 45-H) only in the presence of diethyl 1 pyrocarbonate (DEP), and intact rRNAs could be obtained from spores only if DEP had been added before breaking the spores . Otherwise instead of two distinct bands, three were obtained on polyacrylamide gel. Acta Microbiol Pol, 1978, 27(2), 89 - 95 Isolation and preliminary characterization of R6K plasmid deletion mutants; Wlodarczyk M et al.; Several deletion mutants of R6K have been isolated by mutagen treatment of bacterial host carrying wild type of the plasmid and search for clones that lost ampicillin or streptomycin resistance . The molecular weight of the mutants as estimated by agarose gel electrophoresis was 15 times 10(6) minus 23 times 10(6) compared to 26 times 10(6) for the parental plasmid . The mutants were characterized in respect of the level of resistance to ampicillin and frequency of conjugational transfer . Some of the mutants were found to differ in Eco RI digestion pattern from the wild type. Infection, 1978, 6(3), 130 - 6 Ionic binding of aminoglycosides to human serum albumin in the absence of divalent cations . IV . Effect of structure, ph and concentration; Scholtan W et al.; The binding of sisomicin and streptomycin to human serum albumin was studied in the absence of divalent cations by means of the dialysis method . Hydrophobic bonds between albumin and sisomicin or streptomycin can be excluded by nuclear magnetic resonance measurements . The presence of hydrogen bonds is made unlikely according to the result that the binding of the aminoglycosides decreases with increasing number of OH groups in the aminoglycoside molecule . The pH dependence of protein binding suggests that ionic bonds are involved in the binding of aminoglycosides . On the basis of the concentration dependence of the albumin binding of sisomicin and streptomycin we determined the binding affinities delta F degrees, the binding constants K1, and the maximum number n of aminoglycoside molecules that can be bound by a molecule of albumin in the absence of Ca++ ions . The results were as follows: Sisomicin: delta F degrees = -4189 cal/mole, K1 = 900 1/mole, n = 12; Streptomycin: delta F degrees = 3512 cal/mole, K1 = 300 1/mole, n = 17. Mol Gen Genet, 1977 Dec 14, 158(1), 55 - 61 {Correlation between a novel phenotype towards streptomycin and the binding of an additional protein to the ribosome in mutants of Escherichia coli B.}; Dabbs ER; Mutants of Escherichia coli have been isolated containing streptomycin suppressors that exhibit novel phenotypes with respect to strA alleles . In one class of these mutants, the suppressor effect parallels a strong binding to the ribosome of an additional protein in at least stoichiometric amounts . Transduction experiments confirmed that the level of suppression and the degree of binding of this protein were correlated. Mol Gen Genet, 1977 Dec 9, 157(3), 313 - 8 The role of misrepair processes in the isolation of new types of streptomycin-resistant mutants in Escherichia coli; Lacoste L et al.; Treatment of Escherichia coli cells with ethylmethanesulfonate followed by a prolonged delay for phenotypic expression allows to select new types of streptomycin-resistant mutants, which are double mutants with one change resulting from base mispairing and the second one from misrepair . The error-prone recA-dependent pathway is involved in this misrepair, as evidenced by the fact that recA strains do not provide double mutants. Tubercle, 1977 Dec, 58(4), 171 - 9 Lymph node tuberculosis: a comparison of various methods of treatment; Campbell IA et al.; The treatment of lymph node tuberculosis has been studied in 108 patients . Chemotherapy consisted of 18 months' isoniazid with either rifampicin or ethambutol, plus an initial supplement of streptomycin . These 2 regimens were randomly allocated to 19 patients who had previously undergone excision of the lymph nodes, 56 patients who had undergone biopsy and 33 patients who had not had any surgical procedures . The majority of patients were of Indian or Pakistani origin (80%) . Histological evidence of tuberculosis was obtained in 64% of the 108 patients and M . tuberculosis was cultured in 30% . No other mycobacteria were grown . Progress during treatment was uneventful in 65% of patients . Fresh nodes appeared during treatment in 12%, existing nodes enlarged in 13% and fluctuation developed in 11% of patients . Discharge and/or sinus formation was infrequent (7%), as was breakdown of a surgical scar (4%) . Excision or aspiration after the start of chemotherapy was performed in 19% of patients . In the period up to the end of chemotherapy no difference emerged between the patients who received rifampicin with isoniazid and those who received ethambutol with isoniazid . Satisfactory results were obtained in 98% of the patients by the end of treatment although 13% still had slight node enlargement . The place of surgery is discussed . Follow-up will continue for 18 months after the end of chemotherapy. Br J Obstet Gynaecol, 1977 Dec, 84(12), 881 - 6 Twenty-five years experience of the drug treatment of tuberculosis of the female genital tract; Sutherland AM; A study has been made of women with proved, tuberculosis of the genital tract who were treated with drugs between 1st January, 1951, and 1st July, 1976 . Seven different drug programmes were employed and 566 women were treated . Apart from the last two schedules employing the newer antituberculosis drugs, which were too recent for a follow-up to be available, the best results were obtained with a combination of streptomycin, PAS and isoniazid for 18 months or two years . In this group, 87.7 per cent were regarded as cured after an average follow-up of six years and six months . Drug cover was employed in 79 patients in whom surgery was found to be necessary and the results were uniformly satisfactory . Toxic drug reactions occurred in 18.2 per cent of the patients treated. Laryngoscope, 1977 Dec, 87(12), 2008 - 15 Comparison of caloric and sinusoidal tests in the vestibulotoxic cat; Reder MS et al.; In order to evaluate the relative sensitivity of caloric and sinusoidal angular acceleration tests, thermal and rotational stimuli were administered to cats rendered vestibulotoxic with streptomycin sulfate . Three groups of six cats each, receiving daily subcutaneous injections of saline, 100 mg/kg streptomycin or 200 mg/kg streptomycin, were administered optokinetic, caloric and sinusoidal stimuli . Vestibular responses were evaluated by changes in the total slow phase displacement of the eyes and frequency of nystagmic beats . The results demonstrated that the saline treated animals had a decrease in response consistent with habituation; whereas, experimental animals showed a marked, rapid abolition of eye movement . The decrease in response was greater for the larger dose of streptomycin . Caloric or sinusoidal acceleration tests were equally sensitive in monitoring the degree of nystagmic depression . The data suggested that sinusoidal acceleration tests could be easily applied to the clinical vestibular assessment of ototoxicity. Mol Gen Genet, 1977 Nov 18, 156(3), 233 - 7 A procedure for isolation of spontaneous mutants with temperature sensitive of RNA and/or protein; Isaksson LA et al.; A procedure for the isolation of spontaneous temperature sensitive mutants of Escherichia coli has been developed . They are selected as survivors at high temperature against the combined killing effects exerted by a temperature inducible lambda prophage and either streptomycin plus ampillicin or ampicillin plus cycloserine . The mutants so obtained are blocked in vivo in the synthesis of RNA or protein or both at restrictive temperature. Mol Gen Genet, 1977 Nov 4, 156(1), 35 - 9 Induction of lambda prophage and of mutations to streptomycin resistance in separate small fractions of a lysogenic derivative of Escherichia coli B/r by very low doses of ultraviolet light; Witkin EM et al.; The number of induced mutations to streptomycin resistance is compared at doses of ultraviolet (UV) light between 0.2 and 6.4 J/m2 in a Uvr- (excision-deficient) derivative of E . coli B/r, strain WU, and in its lambda lysogen, strain WU(lambda) . At UV doses up to about 1 J/m2, which converts about 5% of the lysogenic population into enfective centers, no difference is observed in the number of mutations to streptomycin resistance produced by the two strains . It is concluded that the capacity to produce UV-induced mutations is not coupled with lysis due to the induction of lambda prophage at low doses of UV radiation . At UV doses above 1 J/m2, the number of mutatants detected in the lysogenic strain decreases appreciably compared to the number detected in the nonlysogen, and is only about 10% as high at UV doses of 3 J/m2 and higher, doses which cause maximal induction of prophage . The results are compatible with the operation of a common "all-or-none" induction signal resulting in expression of UV-inducible functions at high UV doses, but not at low doses. Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol, 1977 Nov, (11), 111 - 5 {Characteristics of the deletion mutant of plasmid R6K}; Gnedoi SN et al.; Deletion plasmide R6Kdelta with the mol wt of 17.2.10(6) dalton isolated from the E . coli chi 925 (R6K) is described . This plasmide expresses no resistance to streptomycin, is replicated in the E . coli K12 under relaxed control and is resistant to the treatment with the eliminating agents . Analysis of plasmide DNA with the aid of electrophoresis in agarose gel demonstrated that R6K delta has one site attacked by restriction endonucleases Eco . RI and Bam HI . These data were confirmed by the determination of the transforming activity of the corresponding DNA restrictors . It is supposed that the isolated plasmide was identical with plasmide RSF1040 . A possibility of using R6K delta as a genetic vector for obtaining recombination DNA molecules in vitro is discussed. Pharmazie, 1977 Nov, 32(11), 690 - 2 The spectrophotometric determination of streptomycins; Wahbi AM et al.; The spectra produced by the acid treatment and alkaline treatment of streptomycin and dihydrostreptomycin have been investigated to obtain suitable methods for their determination . Mixtures of the two antibiotics have been successfully determined in the UV region . Thus, using the orthogonal function method, dihydrostreptomycin has been determined after acid treatment whereas streptomycin has been determined after alkaline treatment followed by immediate neutralization. Biochim Biophys Acta, 1977 Oct 25, 499(3), 447 - 9 Biosynthesis of N-methyl-L-glucosamine from D-glucose by Streptomyces griseus; Kumagai AH et al.; Biosynthesis of N-methyl-L-glucosamine moiety of streptomycin from D-glucose by Streptomyces griseus was studied . A mixture of D-{1-(14) C} glucose and D-{6(-3)H}glucose was given to the culture of S . griseus . The 3H/14C ratio found in N-methyl-L-glucosamine further supports a mechanism that the conversion of D-glucose to L-hexose is carried out without scission of carbon skeleton . When D-{1-14C}glucose and D-{3-3H}glucose were used, the fall of 3H/14C ratio in N-metyl-L-glucosamine showed that the hydrogen atom at C-3 plays a role in such a transformation. Science, 1977 Oct 14, 198(4313), 198 - 9 Naturally occurring plasmid carrying genes for enterotoxin production and drug resistance; Gyles CL et al.; Escherichia coli strain 86, isolated from a piglet with diarrhea, carries plasmid-linked genes for resistance to tetracycline, streptomycin, and sulfonamides and for production of heat-labile and heat-stable enterotoxin . Results of (i) genetic experiments involving conjugal transfer and phage P1-mediated transduction and (ii) physical experiments involving electron microscopic examination of plasmid DNA and heteroduplex analysis show that a single conjugative plasmid carries the genes for drug resistance and production of enterotoxin. Antibiotiki, 1977 Oct, 22(10), 915 - 9 {Induced variability of Streptomyces galbus}; Efremenkova OV et al.; A-factor, a regulating substance is an obligatory participant of streptomycin biosynthesis by Str . griseus . Str . galbus also synthesizes streptomycin but without participation of A-factor . Mutant with various morphological properties were obtained under the effect of ethylenimine . No correlation between spore formation and streptomycin synthesis was found in the mutants of Str . galbus unlike Str . griseus . Correlation between a decrease in the capacity for production of a dark brown pigment and an increase in the level of streptomycin biosynthesis was shown: the mutants with the dark brown pigment did not synthesize streptomycin, while the mutants without the pigment synthesized streptomycin in the amounts 10-14 times higher than those in the initial strain . The same as the initial strain, the mutants of Str . galbus had no A-factor and did not respond to its addition into the medium by changing their properties and streptomycin synthesis. Dev Med Child Neurol, 1977 Oct, 19(5), 593 - 7 H . influenzae meningitis treated with ampicillin or chloramphenicol, and subsequent hearing loss; Jones FE et al.; Sensori-neural hearing loss after H . influenzae meningitis in children has been reported to occur more frequently after treatment with ampicillin than with chloramphenicol . In the present survey, hearing was assessed clinically and, in most cases, audiometrically in 47 children seen after H . influenzae meningitis . Three children were found to have some sensori-neural hearing loss . In no case was this severe or suspected prior to examination . One was among 27 children treated with ampicillin; one was among eight treated with ampicillin and chloramphenicol; and one was treated with chloramphenicol and streptomycin . Most of the children received ampicillin in a dose of 250mg/kg/day or less, but the two who were treated with ampicillin and developed hearing loss were among five children who received higher doses, suggesting that ampicillin may be ototoxic when given in very high doses. Scott Med J, 1977 Oct, 22(4), 279 - 85 The chemotherapy of tuberculosis--a personal overview; Street EW; The story is told of how streptomycin, PAS and isoniazid came to be known as the first-line drugs . Although the present first line is generally accepted as rifampicin, ethambutol and isoniazid, the way in which these drugs should be used in different types of tuberculosis and in different parts of the world is discussed in relation to efficacy, toxicity and cost . Passing reference is also made to second-line drugs used in the retreatment of cases with bacterial resistance. S Afr Med J, 1977 Sep 17, 52(13), 522 - 5 The binding of antituberculous drugs to normal and kwashiorkor serum; Buchanan N et al.; The protein binding of 6 antituberculous drugs--ethambutol, ethionamide, isoniazid, para-aminosalicylic acid, rifampicin and streptomycin--to normal and kwashiorkor serum has been investigated . The binding of these drugs was mildly decreased in kwashiorkor serum, but not to such an extent as to be of therapeutic importance, except for streptomycin and possibly para-aminosalicylic acid (PAS) . With streptomycin there was a 15% increase in the free component in kwashiorkor serum, while with PAS there was a 12% increase in the free component . Of interest is the observation that rifampicin is predominantly bound to the gamma-globulin fraction, both in normal and in kwashiorkor serum . Secondary binding, predominantly to the alpha 1-, alpha 2-and gamma-globulin fractions, was seen quite commonly in kwashiorkor serum in association with diminished albumin binding. Biochim Biophys Acta, 1977 Sep 6, 478(1), 81 - 9 Streptomycin: separation of polysomal and non-polysomal messenger ribonucleoproteins; Kaulenas MS et al.; In the presence of 0.02 M streptomycin, all of the polysomes precipitate from male cricket (Acheta domesticus) accessory gland and chick embryonic tissue post-mitochondrial fractions . All non-polysomal messenger-like ribonucleoprotein preparations tested remain in solution. J Gen Microbiol, 1977 Sep, 102(1), 129 - 34 Two naturally occurring transposons indistinguishable from Tn7; Barth PT et al.; Two plasmids from different sources, determining trimethoprim and streptomycin resistances, harbour transposons which we designate Tn71 and Tn72 . These transposons are indistinguishable from Tn7 in the resistances determined, in their molecular masses and in the number and relative positions of their sites susceptible to the restriction enzymes EcoRI, HindIII and BamHI . We conclude that Tn7 has been naturally spread among plasmids. Southeast Asian J Trop Med Public Health, 1977 Sep, 8(3), 317 - 21 Pulmonary nocardiosis in a patient receiving immunosuppressive agent; Aswapokee P et al.; A 20-year-old woman receiving corticosteroid treatment for systemic lupus erythematosus developed pulmonary nocardiosis with hydrophneumothorax . The organism identified as Nocardia asteroides resisted to sulfonamide and cotrimoxazole but sensitive to chloramphenicaol and streptomycin in vitro . She seemed to respond to chloramphenicol but subsequently had peritonitis and succumbed later. J Allergy Clin Immunol, 1977 Sep, 60(3), 199 - 203 Comparative merits of eight popular media in aerometric studies of fungi; Burge HP et al.; Although cultural surveys of airborne fungi are pursued widely, the comparative virtues of popular media have not been systematically tested . To facilitate an informed choice, eight different agar media were compared using paired single-plate exposures of identical, wind-oriented, Andersen samplers . Modified Mehrlich's (MM), Sabouraud's dextrose (SAB), malt extract (MALT), V8 juice (V8), and potato dextrose-rose bengal (PDAR) agar were compared initially; potato dextrose (PDA), MALT, rose bengal streptomycin (RBS), and casein hydrolysate (CH) agar were compared during a subsequent series, as were PDA and PDAR . Overall, SAB, MALT, V8, and PDA total recoveries were similar, while MM, CH, PDAR, and RBS were significantly low in paired comparisons with one or more media . MALT and SAB produced the highest frequencies of recovery of most colony types . Bacteria were infrequently recovered on any of the media . CH and MM excluded Epicoccum but are of potential use in surveys that focus sharply on high concentrations of Cladosporium . Rose bengal-containing media performed poorly in this study and must be approached with caution and under properly controlled conditions. Zhonghua Min Guo Wei Sheng Wu Xue Za Zhi, 1977 Sep, 10(3), 67 - 73 Drug resistance among Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains isolated in Taiwan during 1975; Hsu KH et al.; 455 strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis were isolated from patients with history of treatment in Taiwan Provincial Tuberculosis Control Bureau and tested for resistance against various antituberculosis agents including streptomycin (SM), paraaminosalicylic acid (PAS), isoniazid (INH), cycloserine (CS), prothionamide (1321TH), kanamycin (KM), ethambutol (EMB), and rifampicin (RFP) . In vitro resistance to SM and INH was more frequently found than others and the resistance to a single drug was more common than multiple resistance. Tubercle, 1977 Sep, 58(3), 129 - 36 A study of two twice-weekly and a once-weekly continuation regimen of tuberculosis chemotherapy, including a comparison of two durations of treatment . 2 . Second report: the results at 36 months. {The effects of intratympanally applied streptomycin-sulfate on the ipsi- and contralateral hearing potentials in the guinea pig (author's transl)} Stange G, Schmidt CL, Orthenberger H. 11 Guinea pigs had a 50% streptomycin-sulfate solution injected into the middle ear . Complete loss of function of the peripheral vestibular organ occurred after two days, as was detectable by means of the caloric test . The high-degree decrease of the microphonic-potentials and the compound action potential was significant . Threshold and adaptation of the potentials of the opposite side were not affected . The results are discussed with regard to the treatment of Meniere's disease by means of intratympanally applied streptomycin. J Antibiot (Tokyo), 1977 Aug, 30(8), 644 - 8 Ribosomal ribonucleic acids from Streptomyces griseus; Timko J et al.; Nucleic acids from Streptomyces griseus 178 were isolated during cultivation . After their fractionation on a column of methylated serum albumin adsorbed on Kieselguhr, the 16 S and 23 S RNA were isolated . To characterize RNAs their sedimentation coefficients, Tm and nucleotide composition were determined . During cultivation of S . griseus 178 rRNA level reaches two maximum peaks and the production of streptomycin influences nucleic aicds of the producer organism. Mol Gen Genet, 1977 Jul 7, 154(1), 67 - 73 The effect of translation and transcription inhibitors on the synthesis of periplasmic phosphatases in E . coli; Wainwright M et al.; Previous studies by others have indicated that the synthesis of secreted enzymes is unusually sensitive to many translation inhibitors and resistant, for about 30 min, to rifampicin . We have studied the sensitivity of secreted (periplasmic) phosphatases to such inhibitors . Alkaline phosphatase synthesis is more sensitive than total protein synthesis to tetracyclin and spectinomycin, but not to sparsomycin, streptomycin, chloramphenicol, kasugamycin, blasticidin S or thiostrepton; it is slightly more resistant than total protein synthesis to the latter two antibiotics . Acid hexose-phosphatase was also preferentially sensitive to tetracyclin and spectinomycin and also to kasugamycin . beta-galactosidase was also included in the study, as an intracellular enzyme, and was found to be preferentially inhibited ("repressed"), sometimes transiently, by all eight translation inhibitors . This effect did not seem to be mediated through cyclic AMP or guanosine tetraphosphate; the "repression" was still evident in mutants with altered rho factor indicating that it may also not be related to artificial polarity . Synthesis of both periplasmic phosphatases was immediately inhibited by rifampicin . These results differ from those found in previous studies with other organisms and suggest a reappraisal of the usual interpretation of these phenomena. Acta Otolaryngol, 1977 Jul-Aug, 84(1-2), 65 - 71 Metabolic disorder of otoconia after streptomycin intoxication; Harada Y et al.; Little is known about the origin or the metabolism of otoconia . Streptomycin sulfate was found to cause a decrease in their number on the otolithic membrane of the utricle and saccule in guinea pigs . The remaining otoconia on the otolithic membrane varied in shape and size and giant otoconia with multilayered arrangement were observed by means of a scanning electron microscope . These otoconia contained the normal amount of calcium in the form of standard calcium calcite crystal . The lost otoconia were found attached to the surface of some vestibular dark cells . Otoconia in this new position were irregular, shrunken or fragmented . Their calcium content, measured with an X-ray micro-analyzer, was variably diminished . The dark cells appeared to be actively engaged in absorption of calcium ions, from the attached otoconia . The dark cell is considered to be a receptacle for the disposal of otoconia. J Bacteriol, 1977 Jul, 131(1), 69 - 75 Expression of R-plasmid functions during anaerobic growth of an Escherichia coli K-12 host; Burman LG; The normal habitat of enteric bacteria is largely anaerobic . Expression of the three characteristic properties of R-plasmids, drug resistance, vegetative replication, and fertility, was therefore studied in Escherichia coli K-12 during anaerobiosis . Replication and drug resistance functions were not altered in the 45 R-plasmids studies, whereas the expression of fertility varied considerably among different R-plasmids during anaerobiosis . The R-plasmids could be divided into three groups, one showing a strong, the second a moderate, and the third little or no reduction of fertility by anaerobiosis . Plasmid-determined sensitivity to F-, N-, and I-specific phage, respectively, was well, although not absolutely, correlated with each of three groups mentioned . Anaerobiosis-aerobiosis appears to change the fertility of type F R-plasmids by influencing the degree of repression of their fertility functions such as the formation of sex pili . Although the minimum inhibitory concentrations of ampicillin, chloramphenicol, streptomycin, and tetracycline were unaltered by anaerobiosis, sulfonamide was found to be four- to eightfold less active under this condition in both resistant and sensitive strains . A surprisingly high frequency and uniformity of minimal inhibitory concentrations was observed for R-plasmid-mediated resistance to streptomycin and chloramphenicol. Tubercle, 1977 Jun, 58(2), 55 - 78 Tuberculosis in Tanzania: a follow-up of a national sampling survey of drug resistance and other factors; Inhibitors of mitochondrial function prevent senescence in the ascomycete Podosprora anserina; The onset of senescence, i.e . decrease of growth rate followed by cellular death, is prevented when inhibitors of mitochondrial function (ethidium-bromide, streptomycin, tiamulin) are present in the culture medium . If mycelia are transferred to a medium not containing one of these substances, senescence occurs after the usual time interval (30 d at 26 degrees C) . Inhibitors of cytoplasmic protein synthesis such as emetine and cycloheximide have no effect in preventing senescence. Mol Gen Genet, 1977 May 20, 153(1), 61 - 73 A comparison of the genetic and physical size of the streptomycin resistance locus in Pneumococcus; Rosenthal AL et al.; Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the 30S ribosomal proteins derived from six streptomycin resistant strains indicates that each mutation alters the same ribosomal protein (str-r protein) . Preliminary data utilizing SDS gels indicates that the str-r protein has a molecular weight between 10,000 and 20,000 daltons . No significant differences could be detected between the molecular weight of the str-r protein when it is derived either from a sensitive or from a resistant strain, including those derived from strains carrying multisite mutations of different genetic size . We have estimated the size of the multisite str-r mutations to be less than 30 base pairs . Two factor crosses with str-r markers in the trans position demonstrate recombination frequencies expected of closely linked, intragenic markers although cotransfer frequencies, of these same markers from the cis position, are very low . It is concluded that the cotransfer frequencies represent a marker effect and possible explanations are discussed . A reinterpretation of the genetic map of the pneumococcal str-r locus is presented. J Antibiot (Tokyo), 1977 May, 30(5), 404 - 8 Effects of ethidium bromide and acriflavine on streptomycin production by Streptomyces bikiniensis; Shaw PD et al.; The treatment of Streptomyces bikiniensis with ethidium bromide or acriflavine resulted in the loss of the ability to produce streptomycin in 2 approximately 16% of the colonies isolated from the treated spores . These isolates had also lost their resistance to streptomycin . Treatment with the dyes caused partial to total loss of the ability to produce aerial mycelium by S . bikiniensis, but the isolates regained this ability upon repeated transfer to fresh medium . The dyes did not appear to effect pigment production by S . bikiniensis. Antibiotiki, 1977 May, 22(5), 496 - 71 {Basis for the administration of streptomycin and isoniazid in ultrasonic aerosols in the treatment of intrathoracic tuberculosis}; Semenova EV; A total of 257 patients with intrathoracic tuberculosis were observed . The levels of streptomycin and isoniazide in the blood and lung tissue (132 resections) were studied comparatively after their administration by different routes (ultrasonic inhalation, per os and intramuscularly) in the doses of 1.0 and 0.6 gm of streptomycin and isoniazide respectively . On the basis of the data of the study it was conlcuded that concentrations of the tuberculostatic agents in the healthy ares of the lung tissue and the walls of the tuberculosis focus were much higher after the drug administration by the routine methods and remained at the minimum bacteriostatic level for 48 hours . Therefore, there is basis for considering administration of streptomycin and isoniazide in the form of ultrasonic aerosols quite justified in treatment of patients with intrathoracic tuberculosis since this administration route provided high levels of the drugs in the disease foci which meets the requirement of local therapy. Acta Orthop Scand, 1977 May, 48(1), 5 - 9 Serum electrophoretic pattern in osteoarticular tuberculosis; Prasad GC et al.; A serum electrophoretic study was carried out in 37 established osteoarticular tuberculosis cases . The result of this study has been analysed according to severity and chronicity and also after treatment, including certain streptomycin-resistant cases . It has been observed that there was a decrease in albumin and an increase in Alpha2 and gamma-globulin fractions of serum protein as the disease became more advanced and chronic in nature . The administration of known antitubercular drugs reverses this phenomenon . The resistant cases revealed an increase in gamma-globulin fraction at almost the same level as observed in the untreated cases. Am Rev Respir Dis, 1977 May, 115(5), 727 - 35 Controlled trial of 6-month and 9-month regimens of daily and intermittent streptomycin plus isoniazid plus pyrazinamide for pulmonary tuberculosis in Hong Kong . The results up to 30 months; Reduced pyridine nucleotide oxidases of Eugena gracilis var . bacillaris; Cell-free extracts of a streptomycin-bleached strain of Euglena gracilis var . bacillaris have been examined for enzyme systems primarily responsible for the oxidation of reduced pyridine nucelotides . NADH lipoyl dehydrogenase, NADH and NADPH oxidase, NADH and NADPH diaphorase, and NADH and NADPH cytochrome c reductase have been demonstrated . The NADPH-linked enzymes had lower activity rates and were less sensitive to N-ethyl maleimide and p-hydroxymercuribenzoate than their NADH-linked counterparts . NADH cytochrome c reductase was the most sensitive to antimycin A . Michaelis-Menten constants (Km) determined were as follows: NADH diaphorase, 350 muM; NADPH oxidase 150 muM ; NADH lipoyl dehydrogenase, 0.35 muM . Enzyme activities after storage at -5 C indicate that the diaphorases are less labile than the other tested enzymes, and the differential activities of the NADH and NADPH linked enzymes suggest that functionally they may have different roles. Jpn J Med Sci Biol, 1977 Apr, 30(2), 109 - 18 Surface charge of dengue virus hemagglutinins prepared from infected mouse brains; Inouye S et al.; Surface charge of dengue virus hemagglutinin (HA) prepared from infected suckling mouse brains was studied by sucrose gradient electrophoresis . The findings were as follows: (1) Both the slow- and rapid-sedimenting hemagglutinins (SHA and RHA, respectively) prepared after streptomycin treatment of the brain homogenate were distributed broadly within the gradient after electrophoresis, while echovirus type 7 HA which was used as a reference migrated narrowly, suggesting heterogeneity of the surface charge of both dengue HAs . (2) Neuraminidase treatment of dengue HA slightly retarded its migration toward the anode but did not alter the broad distribution . (3) Protamine treatment used for purification of HA from the brain homogenate changed the surface charge from negative to positive. Am Rev Respir Dis, 1977 Apr, 115(4), 705 - 8 Activity of some antileprosy compounds against Mycobacterium intracellulare in vitro; Gangadharam PR et al.; A series of 12 compounds, consisting of 3 known antileprosy drugs (dapsone, B663, and Ciba 1906) and 9 structural derivatives of dapsone, were tested for their antimycobacterial activity against 50 strains of Mycobacterium intracellulare . Detailed investigations of B663, the only compound showing considerable in vitro activity, were carried out . All of the strains of M . intracellulare were inhibited by a B663 concentration of 1.6 mug per ml, and 88% were inhibited by a drug concentration of 0.8 microng per ml . The rate of emergence of in vitro resistance was similar to that of M . tuberculosis against streptomycin and isoniazid . Preliminary experiments indicated that the action of the drug on M . intracellulare may be bacteriocidal in nature. Br J Haematol, 1977 Apr, 35(4), 561 - 71 Immune haemolytic anaemia and renal failure induced by streptomycin; Letona JM et al.; A case of acute immune haemolytic anaemia and renal failure induced by streptomycin, is reported . The clinical features are similar to those in a case previously reported in which no in vitro proof of antibodies was obtained . In this case, streptomycin-specific IgG antibodies, with both k and lambda light chains, could be demonstrated . The streptomycin bound strongly to the red cell membrane, apparently through chemical groups related to the M antigen and possibly also to the D antigen . Complement-fixation by the drug-specific IgG antibodies, after reaction with the streptomycin-coated red cells, could also be demonstrated . On the basis of these findings, our conclusion is that a complement-fixing hapten-cell mechanism was the main cause of the intravascular haemolytic episode suffered by the patient on exposure to streptomycin . This drug had been prescribed 15 years earlier for pulmonary tuberculosis and he had since injected himself with it whenever he felt "flu" symptoms, without harmful effects, until now. Acta Otolaryngol, 1977 Mar-Apr, 83(3-4), 291 - 302 Ultrastructural changes of the nerve elements following disruption of the organ of Corti . I . Nerve elements in the organ of Corti; Terayama Y et al.; 3-137 days after disruption of the guinea pig organ of Corti by perilymphatic perfusion with 20% streptomycin (SM), ultrastructural changes of the nerve fibers in the organ were observed . Most of nerve fibers began to degenerate after a latent period of 4 days . On the other hand, a number of fibers survived reactively enlarged and later developed into myelinated and unmyelinated fibers by becoming enclosed in Schwann cells which entered the organ of Corti through the habenula perforata . Regeneration and sprouting of the surviving nerve fibers also occurred . The fibers became mature, but atrophied after 60 days and then gradually disappeared . The regenerating fibers were mainly of the myelinated and unmyelinated efferent type . Retrograde degeneration occurred in both afferent and efferent fibers . In the less damaged organ of Corti perfused with 2% SM or Ringer's solution, Schwann cell invasion was not found. Sabouraudia, 1977 Mar, 15(1), 51 - 7 {Coccidioides immitis: isolation from soil samples in San Luis and Mendoza provinces}; Borghi AL et al.; By using the double pour plate method, Yeasts Extract Agar (YE) which contained a high concentration of chloramphenicol-streptomycin sulfate and cycloheximide,, and by inoculating mice intraperitoneally, we succeed in the isolation of different strains of Coccidicides immitis from 12 samples of the soils collected in the province of San Luis and from 1 of the province of Mendoza (Argentina), a 70% of the samples turned out positive . Identification of the strains was based on macro- and micro-morphology of the colonies, pathogenicity for mice and the capacity to transform in shaked cultures. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol, 1977 Mar-Apr, 86(2 pt . 1), 158 - 63 Ototoxic interactions of ethacrynic acid and streptomycin; Mathog RH et al.; Various aminoglycoside antibiotics and potent diuretics are known to depress cochlear and vestibular function . Several clinical and research studies suggest that the drugs administered together produce enhanced ototoxicity . The present series of experiments determines the depressive effects of ethacrynic acid and streptomycin, alone or in combination, upon the vestibular system of the cat . The changes in function, when quantified, indicate an addition, rather than a potentiation of toxicity, and suggest different sites of action. Acta Paediatr Scand, 1977 Mar, 66(2), 237 - 40 Control of streptomycin and isoniazid in malnourished children treated for tuberculosis; Akbani Y et al.; In 12 malnourished children, who were treated for tuberculosis, plasma levels of streptomycin and isoniazid were followed . Streptomycin was administered i.m . in a dose of 25-50 mg/kg/24 hours . High initial plasma levels were reached (mean: 44.3 mug/ml at 30 min) . Streptomycin levels were followed for 5 hours and the mean plasma level at that time was 17.0 mug/ml . From the present data a plasma half life of streptomycin of 3.5 hours has been estimated . It is advised that streptomycin should not be given in doses above 25 mg/kg/24 hours to avoid potential toxic plasma levels especially if plasma levels cannot be measured . It is also concluded from our study that renal function is not affected in malnourished children to an extent where streptomycin clearance is greatly affected . Isoniazid was given orally, 10 mg/kg/24 hours . From 30 min to 6 hours after administration, mean plasma levels of isoniazid above 0.5 mug/ml were observed . In all children measurable plasma levels were obtained . It is concluded that also children with malnutrition can absorb isoniazid after oral administration . From our data it is suggested that the majority of the children in our study were rapid inactivators of isoniazid. J Pharmacol Exp Ther, 1977 Mar, 200(3), 576 - 87 The effects of neomycin upon transmitter release and action; Wright JM et al.; These experiments were designed to determine the site and mechanism of action of neomycin on cholinergic transmission . These agents depressed the response of rat diaphragm preparations to phrenic nerve stimulation and to injected acetylcholine (ACh); however, equi-effective neuromuscular blocking concentrations of neomycin (6 x 10(-4) M), streptomycin (1.2 x 10(-3) M) or d-tubocurarine (6.5 x 10(-7) M) reduced the muscle response to injected ACh to 54,27 and 15% of control, respectively, suggesting that neomycin and streptomycin have a presynaptic effect . This finding was confirmed by measuring ACh release from the diaphragm during phrenic nerve stimulation; neomycin (6x10(-4) M) and streptomycin (1.2 x 10(-4) M) depressed ACh release to 29 and 41% of control, respectively . In the cat superior cervical ganglion neomycin (2 x 10(-3) M) blocked ganglionic transmission, did not reduce the response of ganglion cells to injected nicotine and depressed ACh release during preganglionic nerve stimulation to 61% of control in normal Ca++ (2.5 mM) medium and to less than 10% of control in low Ca++ (0.5 mM) medium . The increased accululation of 45Ca induced in rat isolated ganglia by preganglionic nerve stimulation was not changed by d-tubocurarine (2 x 10(-4) M), but was abolished by neomycin (2 x10(-3) M) . It is concluded that neomycin blocks ACh release by blocking the influx of Ca++ necessary for transmitter release . This conclusion suggested that neomycin should block noradrenaline release, and this was shown using the anococcygeus preparation from the rat. J Biol Chem, 1977 Feb 25, 252(4), 1162 - 6 Purification and properties of galactokinase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae; Schell MA et al.; Galactokinase (EC 2.7.1.6; ATP:D-galactose-1-phosphotransferase) was purified to homogeneity with a 50% yield from cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae which were fully induced for the production of the galactose metabolizing enzymes . The purification was accomplished by:(a) ammonium sulfate fractionation, (b) streptomycin sulfate precipitation . (c) DEAE-cellulose chromatography, (d) hydroxylapatite chromatography, and finally (e) Bio-Gel A-0.5 m gel filtration . The resulting preparation of galactokinase was judged to be at least 95% pure by the following criteria: (a) sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, (b) ultracentrifuge analysis, (c) nondissociating polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and (d) Bio-Gel A-0.5 m gel filtration . The purified enzyme preparation was used to determine the Km values for the two substrates, galactose and ATP, which were found to be 0.60 and 0.15 mM, respectively . Vmax was also determined and found to be 3.35 mmol/h/mg . This corresponds to a turnover rate of 3350 molecules of galactose phosphorylated/min/enzyme molecule . The effect of pH on the galactokinase-catalyzed phosphorylation of galactose was determined; the results showed the pH optimum of the reaction to be in the range of pH 8.0 to 9.0 . The enzyme is highly specific for galactose since galactokinase did not appear to phosphorylate any of the other sugars tested at a rate greater than 0.5% of the rate of galactose phosphorylation . Amino acid analysis was performed on the enzyme preparation and the results were used to calculate the partial specific volume (v) of 0.736 . The NH2-terminal sequence was determined for the first 3 residues . The molecular weight and subunit composition were determined by ultracentrifugation and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under dissociating and nondissociating conditions . The data obtained indicated that galactokinase is a monomeric protein of molecular weight 58,000. Biochim Biophys Acta, 1977 Feb 3, 474(3), 398 - 410 The 30 S subunit of the Escherichia coli ribosome . Topographical model of its component proteins; Cornick GG et al.; This topographical model of the proteins of the 30 S subunit of the Escherichia coli ribosome was built to be consistent with the 37 published spectroscopic and chemical experiments that indicate proximity and with the two neutron diffraction experiments that indicate S3 and S7 as well as S2 and S5 to be separated by 110 A . The model is quite consistent with the protein arrangement suggested by assembly pathways, the various RNA binding sites, and the streptomycin-associated proteins, This consistency is encouraging since none of these data were considered during the construction of the model . The model differs significantly from those proposed by Traut et at . ((1974) Ribosomes 271-308) and by Tischendorf et al . ((1975) Proc . Natl . Acad . Sei . U.S . 72, 4820-4824). Br J Clin Pharmacol, 1977 Feb, 4(1), 5 - 14 Acetylator phenotyping of tuberculosis patients using matrix isoniazid or sulphadimidine and its prognostic significance for treatment with several intermittent isoniazid-containing regimens; Ellard GA et al.; 1 . The acetylator phenotype of over 600 pulmonary tuberculosis patients treated with intermittent isoniazid-containing regimens in two controlled clinical trials was determined using either sulphadimidine or a slow-release isoniazid formulation . 2 . Both methods unequivocally classified over 99% of the patients as being either slow or rapid acetylators . 3 . Rapid and slow acetylation did not differ in their ability of hydrolyse acetylisoniazid to isonicotonic acid plus monoacetylhydrazine, or to conjugate isonicotinic acid with glycine . 4 . Rapid acetylators acetylated the monoacetylhydrazine liberated in vivo more rapidly than slow acetylators, demonstrating that this compound is also polymorphologically acetylated in man . 5 . The acetylator phenotype of the patients was without prognostic significance when they were treated on a twice-weekly basis with isoniazid plus streptomycin plus pyraziniamide, or with isoniazid plus rifampicin . However, when patients were treated once every week for 12 months with isoniazid plus rifampicin, 5% of the rapid acetylators had an unsatisfactory response as contrasted to the complete success of the treatment in the slow acetylators. Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol, 1977 Feb, (2), 117 - 20 {Mapping the fucidin resistance marker in S . typhimurium and a study of the properties of its transductants}; Gamaleia NB et al.; The fusidic resistance marker in S . typhimurium is contransduced in 95% of cases by means of P 22 phage with the streptomycin resistance marker . The transfer of the fusidic acid resistance gene doesn't lead to any significant alterations in the tranductants' properties (morphology, antigenic structure, growth rate, biochemical activity, sensitivity to other antibiotics) . The fusidic acid resistant mutants and transductants studied displayed a significantly decreased virulence to albino mice . The rate of this decrease, however, doesn't correspond to the degree of transductants' resistance . Virulent variants are also possible. Aust N Z J Med, 1977 Feb, 7(1), 8 - 13 Tuberculosis due to Mycobacterium kansasii; Elder JL et al.; Eighteen cases of tuberculosis due to Mycobacterium kansasii have been described . Eleven were from Western Australia and seven from Queensland . The symptoms, X-rays and histology of the disease were indistinguishable from those due to Mycobacterium tuberculosis, but the organisms were resistant to streptomycin, para-amino-salicylic (PAS) and isoniazid, but sensitive to ethionamide and cycloserine, and in most cases sensitive to rifampicin and ethambutol . All 18 cases were treated with some form of chemotherapy; three also had surgery. Wien Klin Wochenschr, 1977 Jan 21, 89(2), 43 - 5 {The clinical features of brucellosis in an endemic area (author's transl)}; Rigatos GA et al.; Brucellosis remains a problem in many rural areas of Greece . A case report is given of 50 patients with brucellosis treated at the regional hospital of an endemic area . Various forms of fever were observed; a raised temperature was universal . Sweating and joint pains were prominent general symptoms . The most common local findings were arthritis, orcheoepididymitis and osteomyelitis . More rarely, rashes, bronchitis, difficulty in micturition and paraesthesiae were found . Routine laboratory investigations were of no diagnostic help, but the serum agglutination reaction according to Wright is diagnostic of brucellosis at high titres . An equally successful therapeutic result was achieved with streptomycin in conjunction with tetracyclines or with the combined preparation of sulphamethoxiazole and trimethoprim. Acta Orthop Scand, 1977, 48(4), 362 - 8 Penetration of antitubercular drugs in clinical osteoarticular tubercular lesions; Tuli SM et al.; In 79 consecutive cases of skeletal tuberculosis the concentration of streptomycin and ethambutol was analysed . The material for analysis was obtained from the diseased joints of 14 patients and from cold abscesses from spinal or osseous lesions in 65 patients . The concentration of the drugs in the serum and in the tuberculous material was measured 3 hours after the systemic administration of the drugs in therapeutic doses . The concentration was expressed as microgram per ml of the tuberculous material and the data were subjected to statistical analysis . Streptomycin and ethambutol penetrated freely into the tuberculous joints; their concentration in the cold abscesses, however, was half to one third of the concentration in the serum . There was a wide range of concentrations; however, in the tuberculous joints as well as in the cold abscesses the concentrations were much higher than those considered to have an inhibitory effect on mycobacterium tuberculosis in clinical material. Chemotherapy, 1977, 23(3), 142 - 8 Error in recovery rate of aminoglycosides from uraemic sera; Stessman J et al.; The recovery rate of gentamicin and tobramycin from uraemic sera was between 50 and 70% using a bioassay method which gave a 90% recovery rate from normal sera . This difference was not seen with streptomycin or kanamycin . The recovery rate from uraemic sera could be raised to clinically acceptable levels of above 80% either by using a different assay medium or by preparing standard solutions in pooled uraemic sera. Acta Biol Med Ger, 1977, 36(9), 1307 - 14 Relationship between the neuromuscular blocking effect of gentamicin and streptomycin and their concentration in blood; Soloviev VN et al.; The principle of the analysis of concentration-response relationships is valid in the case if the effective course is defined by a logistic function and the drug distribution is approximated by a two-compartment model . The method of calculation the data to construct the curves describing the dependence of the effect on drug concentration in the central and in peripheral compartments was elaborated . The relations between the concentrations of gentamicin and streptomycin and their peripheral neuromuscular blocking effect were investigated experimentally on cats . The blocking action of both drugs is evident at concentrations higher than the drug serum levels after administration of therapeutic doses, gentamicin being more active. Scand J Infect Dis, 1977, 9(4), 301 - 8 Pharmacokinetic aspects of streptomycin treatment of neonatal septicemia; Herngren L et al.; Patients with suspected neonatal septicemia were treated with ampicillin, cloxacillin, and streptomycin . The plasma concentrations of streptomycin were followed . First, the levels were determined during a full dose interval (12 h) in 11 infants . The results were used for development of a routine system for monitoring the plasma levels in all streptomycin treated newborns . This system, the "3-point check", involved blood sampling at 1, 3, and 5 h after administration during every second dose interval . The results of this routine procedure were evaluated both in a retrospective and prospective study . The "3-point check" gave a sufficient description of the total exposure to streptomycin under routine clinical conditions and continuous information to the physician in charge of the patient about the drug level . In 9 cases of 50, the report from the laboratory resulted in dose change for correction of a too low or too high plasma concentration . The dosage used, 7.5 mg streptomycin intramuscularly every 12th hour, appeared to be satisfactory in most patients . Peak values rarely exceeded 30 microgram/ml and were usually lower than 25 microgram/ml . Almost half of the children had plasma levels below 5 microgram/ml at the end of the dose interval (after 12 h) . Although the correlation between pharmacokinetics and clinical outcome is difficult to establish in neonatal sepsis, we suggest that our guiding principle to avoid plasma levels above 25 microliter/ml is reasonable . In 35 out of 78 patients an otological examination of the newborns was performed within 13 months after streptomycin treatment and no signs of hearing defects were noted. Gene, 1977, 2(3-4), 193 - 210 Heteroduplex mapping of small plasmids derived from R-factor R12: in vivo recombination occurs at IS1 insertion sequences; Mickel S et al.; Small, autonomously replicating plasmids derived by in vivo recombination from R-factor R12 (= R100) have been structurally mapped by heteroduplex formation between the plasmids and an R-factor which is structurally closely related to R6-5 . Recombination resulting in generation of the small resistance-free plasmids occurs between the (IS1)b insertion sequence and various other sites on the opposite side of an origin of replication . A larger R12-derived plasmid pSM17, carrying streptomycin (Sm), sulfadiazole (Sa), and chloramphenicol (Cm) resistances, has recombined in a similar manner but at the (IS1)a sequence . A new structural coordinate origin for R100 and for partially homologous R-factors is proposed based upon the location of the (IS1)b sequence. Adv Exp Med Biol, 1977, 86A, 595 - 609 Identification of binding sites on the E . coli ribosome by affinity labeling; Cooperman BS; Both electrophilic and photolabile derivatives of several different types of ribosomal ligands have been used in affinity labeling studies on the Escherichia coli ribosome . These studies have resulted in the localization of the peptidyl transferase center within a region of the 50S subunit, and the localization of the mRNA binding site within one of two regions on the 30S particle . In addition, labeling data have been obtained for GTP and streptomycin affinity labels . The affinity labeling results are discussed along with the results of other studies, and procedures are suggested for improving the resolving power of the affinity labeling technique as applied to ribosomes. Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol, 1977, (1), 99 - 104 {Entobacterial transformation by R6K plasmid DNA}; Gnedoi SN et al.; Preparations of DNA of R6K plasmide obtained by various methods on the basis of the "clarified" lysate: by gel filtration on sepharose 4B, centrifugation in cesium chloride with ethidium bromide gradient, were analysed in the E . coli C600 . S . typhimurium AG37, Pr . vulgaris 4636, S . marcescens 20-10 transformation . The frequency of transformation proved to depend on the extent of DNA purification . Factors influencing the E . coli C600 competence and the transformation efficacy (the phase of the culture growth, the concentration of cells in the mixture with DNA, theCaCl2 concentration, the time of the cell incubation at 42 degrees C) were studied . Kinetics of the phenotypical expression of the plasmide signs of ampicillin and streptomycin resistance in transformation was also studied in this work. J Virol, 1977 Jan, 21(1), 1 - 6 Streptomycin-resistant Escherichia coli mutant temperature sensitive for the production of Qbeta-infective particles; Engelberg-Kulka H et al.; A streptomycin-resistant Escherichia coli mutant has been isolated that is temperature sensitive for Qbeta phage, but not for the group I RNA phages f2, MS2, and R17 . The growth of Qbeta in the mutant at the nonpermissive temp