Bacteriological

Biochemistry, 1982 Mar 2, 21(5), 1033 - 6
Substrate specificity of an adenohypophyseal endopeptidase capable of hydrolyzing luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone: preferential cleavage of peptide bones involving the carboxyl terminus of hydrophobic and basic amino acids; Horsthemke B et al.; The substrate specificity of a peptidase from anterior pituitaries that is capable of hydrolyzing luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LH-RH; less than Glu-His-Trp-Ser-Tyr-Gly-Leu-Arg-Pro-Gly-NH2) at the Tyr5-Gly6 peptide bond has been investigated by using inhibitors and model substrates . While trypsin and chymotrypsin inhibitors from plants and animals are without any effect, many microbial protease inhibitors and synthetic peptides containing hydrophobic and basic amino acids inhibit the degradation of radiolabeled LH-RH by this enzyme . The model substrates N-acetyl-Phe-Gly-Leu-beta-naphthylamide, N-acetyl-Leu-Gly-Leu-beta-naphthylamide, and N alpha-benzoyl-Arg-Gly-Leu-beta-naphthylamide are hydrolyzed at the X-Gly peptide bonds; N-acetyl-Gly-Gly-Leu-beta-naphthylamide is not degraded . Hydrolysis of typical amino- and carboxypeptidase substrates was not observed . Degradation of the general protease substrates insulin B chain and denatured hemoglobin also could not be detected . Thus, the enzyme is not LH-RH specific but may be characterized as an endopeptidase that hydrolyzes peptides preferentially at the carboxyl terminus of hydrophobic and basic amino acids.

Thorax, 1982 Mar, 37(3), 181 - 4
Microbial flora in carcinoma of oesophagus; Finlay IG et al.; The microbial flora associated with carcinoma of the oesophagus was studied in 12 patients . Oesophageal mucosa was biopsied at thoracotomy and cultured under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions . A heavy mixed growth of aerobic and anaerobic organisms was obtained in all patients . One-third of isolates were anaerobic . The flora was of oral origin . The most appropriate antibiotic combination in this study was ampicillin or penicillin with gentamicin and metronidazole.

Lipids, 1982 Mar, 17(3), 241 - 9
Constituents of human meconium: II . Identification of steroidal acids with 21 and 22 carbon atoms; St Pyrek J et al.; Monohydroxylated acid fraction isolated from human meconium was found to contain, in addition to C20 and C24 acids identified previously, three C22 bile acids-(20S)-3 alpha-hydroxy-23,24-bisnor-5 beta-cholan-22-oic, (20S)- and (20R)-3 beta-hydroxy-23,24-bisnor-chol-5-en-22-oic, and one C21 acid-3 beta-hydroxypregn-5-en-21-oic . These compounds were identified by capillary gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and by comparison with standards . It is postulated that these C22 acids, as well as the two monohydroxylated C24 bile acids (lithocholic and 3 beta-hydroxychol-5-enoic) are produced in the maternal intestine by microbial flora and transferred to the fetus through the placenta.

Hautarzt, 1982 Mar, 33(3), 145 - 7
{Free fatty acid composition in psoriasis vulgaris}; Nissen HP et al.; The composition of free fatty acids of hair lipids from subjects with psoriasis vulgaris (n = 60) and a control group (n = 30) was determine by gas liquid chromatography . The analysis indicates that the percentage composition of longer chain fatty acids was distinctly higher in psoriasis vulgaris . It is suggested that patients with psoriasis vulgaris have either a different air lipid composition and a different microbial activity or different activities of the epidermic esterases.

Biofizika, 1982 Mar-Apr, 27(2), 297 - 303
{Comparative analysis of evolution of Eigen's hypercycles and microbial populations in open systems}; Pechurkin NS et al.; The models of evolution of Eigen's hypercycles and microbial populations were compared . It has been proved that both above mentioned model descriptions of evolution completely coincide for the case of support constant organization (1) . It has been shown that in the case of constant flows (2) for the Eigen's model it is necessary to take into account the dynamics of concentration of energy monomers . The experimental results of microevolution of microbial populations for conditions 1 and 2 are presented.

Arch Surg, 1982 Mar, 117(3), 363 - 7
Pyoderma gangrenosum . A possible cause of wound necrosis; Schwaitzberg SD et al.; Pyoderma gangrenosum is a destructive cutaneous disorder characterized by painful, rapidly enlarging ulcers with under-mined bluish and purplish red margins . This disease is most frequently found in association with ulcerative colitis . However, in the last three years, four cases of pyoderma gangrenosum precipitated by surgical procedures have occurred, and only one of these patients had ulcerative colitis . All four patients responded to steroid therapy and local wound care . Pyoderma gangrenosum can first be suspected by recognition of the previously described classic lesion . In addition, the absence of significant microbial growth and the lack of a specific etiology ascertained on routine and special staining of biopsy material is suggestive of the diagnosis . Histologic characteristics are entirely nonspecific but can be helpful in ruling out other specific entities . The progressively destructive nature of this process in the face of what would seem to be appropriate therapy for bacterial wound infection requires that pyoderma gangrenosum, as well as other aspects of the differential diagnosis of a persistent ulcerative lesion, such as fungal infection, factitious ulcer, or vasculitis, be considered.

J Am Acad Dermatol, 1982 Mar, 6(3), 325 - 7
The role of mononitrochlorobenzene as a contaminant in dinitrochlorobenzene; Doubleday CW et al.; Dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB) has been purported to possess potential mutagenic and carcinogenic hazards . This potential hazard may be due to contamination of DNCB with known carcinogenic precursors, mononitrochlorobenzenes . Three samples of commercially available DNCB were analyzed for the presence of such mononitrochlorobenzenes, which were absent in all samples tested . The implications of product contamination with mutagenic and/or carcinogenic impurities may be important for both in vitro Ames microbial assays and potential carcinogenic exposure in human therapy.

Gut, 1982 Mar, 23(3), 211 - 4
Studies of the immunoglobulin-producing cells of the human intestine: the defunctioned bowel; Wijesinha SS et al.; An indirect immunoperoxidase method was used to visualise immunoglobulin-containing cells in the large intestinal mucosa of 10 children who had defunctioning colostomies . Intestine deprived of its usual exposure to intraluminal antigens contained less immunocytes per unit area than intestinal mucosa subjected to normal stimulation by dietary and microbial antigens . These findings substantiate in man the conclusion based on observations made on animals that continued mucosal exposure to antigenic stimulation is necessary for the existence of an adequate population of intestinal immunocytes.

Ukr Biokhim Zh, 1982 Mar-Apr, 54(2), 145 - 8
{Properties of urease immobilized on the functional organic silica surface}; Liubinskii GV et al.; The paper deals with kinetics of the urea hydrolysis by microbial-origin urease dissolved and immobilized on the organic silica surface . It is shown that hydrolysis kinetics for soluble urease is described by the Michaelis-Menten equation until the concentration of urea reaches 1 M . Two fractions differing in the Michaelis constant are revealed for silochrome immobilized urease . The rate of urea hydrolysis by native and immobilized urease was studied depending on the pH value in presence of the substrate in the 1 M and 5 mM concentration . The hydrolysis rate of 1 M urea in the buffer-free solution by silochrome-immobilized urease is practically independent of pH within 4.5-6.5 . Application of a 2.5 mM phosphate-citrate buffer as a solvent causes an increase in the hydrolysis rate within this pH range . For a soluble urease the 1 M urea hydrolysis rate dependence on pH is ordinary at pH 5.8-6.0 . If the substrate concentration is 5 mM, the pH-dependences for the rate of the urea hydrolysis by silochrome- and aerosil-immobilized urease are close and at pH above 6.0 coincide with those for a soluble enzyme . The found differences in the properties of soluble and immobilized ureases are explained by the substrate and reaction products diffusion.

Food Chem Toxicol, 1982 Feb, 20(1), 43 - 6
Aflatoxin distribution and total microbial counts in an edible oil extracting plant . I . Preliminary observations; Abalaka JA et al.; Groundnut (peanut) kernels, groundnut and cotton-seed pellets and groundnut and cotton-seed oils (crude and refined) were screened for aflatoxins . The groundnut kernels and groundnut and cotton-seed pellets were additionally examined for total microbial counts as well as for certain types of micro-organism . All samples contained aflatoxins (B1, B2, G1 and G2) while a quantitative estimation of aflatoxin B1 revealed that all samples contained this aflatoxin in varying amounts . The study identified in substantial numbers several types of micro-organisms that have been associated with industrial and health hazards.

J Dairy Res, 1982 Feb, 49(1), 39 - 49
Effects of dietary supplements of protected lipids on the concentration and transport of beta-carotene and cholesterol in bovine blood and milk: unusual chromatographic behaviour of the high-density lipoprotein with high levels of beta-carotene; Ashes JR et al.; The effects of feeding lipids protected against microbial degradation in the rumen, on the metabolism of beta-carotene and cholesterol in the blood and milk of cows were studied . The diets fed to the cows consisted of a basal mixture of crushed oats and lucerne hay with a protected vitamin supplement containing a-tocopheryl acetate and beta-carotene fed in conjunction with either (i) protected sunflower oil-seed rich in linoleic acid (PO), (ii) protected tallow (PT), or (iii) formaldehyde-treated casein (C) as a control . Diets PO and PT raised the concentrations of beta-carotene and cholesterol in the blood plasma over that observed for diet C . Milk cholesterol concentrations were not affected by dietary supplements, but the level of beta-carotene in milk of cows on diet PO showed a tendency fo fall compared with milk from cows fed PT or C . The properties of the high density lipoprotein (HDLP) of the blood plasma which contained the beta-carotene were affected by the PO diet . As a result of feeding this diet, the fatty-acid composition of the HDLP was altered and it emerged from a gel-filtration chromatographic column earlier than the control . This change in chromatographic behaviour was used as a measure of the effect of the diet, which for some cows, was apparent long after the diet was changed . It is suggested that the altered lipid composition resulting from the PO diet affected the distribution of particle sizes of the HDLP and might interfere with the transfer of beta-carotene from plasma to milk.

Clin Chem, 1982 Feb, 28(2), 284 - 90
A candidate reference method for uric acid in serum . I . Optimization and evaluation; Duncan PH et al.; We describe our optimization and evaluation of a candidate Reference Method for uric acid in serum . Reaction parameters were optimized for a manual, enzymic method for uric acid in which highly purified microbial uricase is used to quantitate uric acid by a differential ultraviolet procedure . We evaluated the method in terms of freedom from interferences, analytical recovery, precision, and comparison with five other uric acid methods . We conclude that (a) the candidate uric acid Reference Method exhibits the least interference; (b) all six methods exhibit satisfactory analytical recoveries and precision; and (c) results by all six methods agree well . As a result of this evaluation study, the manual ultraviolet uricase method for uric acid, with Tris as buffer, was chosen as the candidate Reference Method for uric acid.

Ann Rech Vet, 1982, 13(2), 199 - 204
{Effect of route and place of minocycline administration on the zootechnical performance of rabbits}; Camguilhem R et al.; Minocycline administered to rabbits per os or intramuscularly (30 mg/kg) over a period of three days led neither to digestive problems nor mortality . Administration per os left the growth curve unchanged . Intramuscular administration reduced rate of growth, and on the 15th day weight loss compared to controls was 3.2% or 11.7% depending on whether the place of administration was in the back muscles or in the thigh, and this despite a normal food intake . Minocycline did not modify microbial flora and level of ammonia in the caecum . Level of acetic acid was reduced by 50% on the fourth and 15th day after intramuscular administration of minocycline into the thigh . The depressive effect of minocycline on growth remains unexplained.

Reprod Nutr Dev, 1982, 22(2), 387 - 94
Microbial flora in the digestive tract and action of lactose on mineral metabolism; Andrieux C et al.; Germ-free (GF) and conventional (CV) adult rats were given for 4 weeks a semi-synthetic diet containing 10 p . 100 lactose (L) or no lactose (LO) . The axenic state had an unfavourable effect on sodium and potassium absorption . On the contrary, it increased the absorption and retention of calcium, phosphorus and magnesium . The favourable effect of lactose on magnesium metabolism was not different in GF and CV rats . On the contrary, lactose increased the absorption and retention of phosphorus and calcium more in GF than in CV animals . It augmented the amount of calcium present in a soluble, ultrafiltrable form in the caecum of only the GF rats . These results are discussed and compared to previous data on younger rats . They lead to the hypothesis that the voluminous caecum of the GF rat is the site of a calcium absorption which is accentuated by presence of lactose in the diet.

IARC Sci Publ, 1982, (41), 357 - 63
Analysis and formation of nitrosamines in the human intestine; Archer MC et al.; The method employed for nitrosamine analysis gave high recovery values and did not produce artefactual nitrosamines . Nitrosation reactions are not catalysed by the microbial ecosystem of human feces . Rapid loss of nitrate and nitrite in feces also precludes nitrosamine formation, unless very high concentrations of precursors are present . These concentrations are not physiological and it is therefore unlikely that N-nitroso compounds form in the lower gastrointestinal tract of man.

Acta Microbiol Acad Sci Hung, 1982, 29(2), 77 - 82
Stimulatory effect of herbicide 2,4-D on the heterotrophic microbial community in the water of three fish ponds; Jana BB et al.; Herbicide 2,4-D at a dosage of 500 mg l-1 stimulated the proliferation of the heterotrophic bacterial community present in the water of three fish ponds over a period of one year . 2,4-D due to its toxic action might kill the planktonic algal population occurring in the pond water, which on degradation generated more nutrients conductive to bacterial proliferation . The microbial density in different hours were closely correlated (p less than 0.01 less than 0.05) with the variations of each of NH4-N, NO2-N and specific conductivity of water, while the relationship between the former and PO4-P was reciprocal (P less than 0.001).

Z Allg Mikrobiol, 1982, 22(6), 373 - 8
Effect of medium treatment on microbial degradation of sterols by Nocardia; Komel R; The rate of transformation of cholesterol by Nocardia sp . is affected by the culture medium composition as well as by the way it has been treated before inoculation . When 1% of peptone was sterilized separately and afterwards added to the basic medium, the transformation of cholesterol to bisnorchola-1,4-dienic acid, as well as further aerobic degradation, was accelerated by a factor of 2 . If this enriched medium was kept at rest overnight, the rate of transformation was lowered to half . Heating of additional peptone together with a basic medium resulted only in a slight diminution of the transformation of the preceding 4-ene metabolite to the final 1,4-diene when compared with a normal basic medium without any additive.

Curr Med Res Opin, 1982, 7(Suppl 2), 29 - 32
A paediatrician's view of the newborn baby and its epidermis; Stroud CE; Almost all babies born in the United Kingdom are born in hospital and with the continuing improvements in neonatal care more survive than ever before, particularly those of very low birth weight . The use of the manipulative and invasive procedures so necessary to monitor and assist their healthy development often result, however, in skin problems arising from intolerance of adhesives, perforating wounds, cleansing solutions, etc . In the older newborn infant, the main skin problems of the anal and neck regions, in particular, are usually associated with artificial milk feeding and inadequate drying of the skin . Many of the skin rashes seen in the newborn, although worrying, are of no consequence, but all those which are petechial or due to microbial infection require prompt investigation and adequate treatment . Despite the advances of recent years, there is still need for further research into procedures and products to ensure that the infant's protective yet delicate covering is disturbed as little as possible and kept in a healthy condition.

J Environ Sci Health B, 1982, 17(2), 143 - 52
Persistence and mobility of nitrofen (niclofen, TOK) in mineral and organic soils; Murty AS et al.; Residues of nitrofen in farm soils, persistence of nitrofen in field microplots, mobility of nitrofen in natural soils and the role of microbial flora in its degradation were studied . Muck soils from vegetable farms in southwestern Ontario contained up to 35 ppm nitrofen in mid-season (August), which decreased to 18 ppm by October . The herbicide was less persistent in sand than in muck . Degradation was slightly faster in sand and muck soils receiving two sprays, than in those sprayed once . From an initial deposit of ca . 2 and 10 ppm resp., in sand and muck field microplots, ca . 2 and 15% persisted after 16 wk . Leaching of nitrofen by water through sand was negligible, and it was even more strongly adsorbed onto organic soil . Natural microbial flora seemed to play an important role in the degradation of nitrofen in soil . Ca . 15 and 38% resp., of the initial concentration persisted in natural sandy loam and muck 16 wk after treatment at 10 ppm, whereas about 94 and 82% resp., persisted in sterilized sandy loam and muck at the same period.

Adv Enzyme Regul, 1982, 20, 337 - 50
Modification of rat liver fructose biphosphate aldolase by lysosomal proteinases; Katunuma N et al.; In vivo proteolytic modification of liver aldolase on administration of leupeptin, a thiol proteinase inhibitor of microbial origin, is reported . When leupeptin was injected into rats, the activity of aldolase in the liver decreased to 40% of that in control rats . Molecular properties of aldolase isolated from the livers of control rats and leupeptin-treated rats indicated that a decrease of aldolase activity is attributable to hydrolysis of a peptide linkage(s) near the carboxyterminal of the enzyme . Injection of leupeptin also caused marked increase in the activities of free lysosomal proteinases, such as cathepsin A and cathepsin D and moderate increase of cathepsin B and cathepsin L . Increase in free activity of cathepsin A returned to the level of control rats by 12 hr after injection of leupeptin, whereas 36 hr was required for recovery of decreased aldolase activity . When insulin was coinjected with leupeptin, increase in the activity of free cathepsin A and decrease of activity of aldolase produced by the injection of leupeptin was prevented . These findings indicate that modification of aldolase may be due to action of a lysosomal protease(s) . Incubation of the purified aldolase with the lysosomal fraction produced the same changes in properties of aldolase as those observed in vivo on injection of leupeptin . The aldolase inactivating proteinase in the lysosomal fraction was inhibited by PMSF and leupeptin and not by pepstatin . Purified cathepsin A (a serine proteinase), cathepsin B and cathepsin L (thiol proteinase) are potent inactivators of aldolase but cathepsin H and cathepsin D are not . Cathepsin A, B and L are involved in inactivation of aldolase in lysosomes . Endogenous thiol proteinase inhibitor which inhibits lysosomal thiol proteinases (cathepsin B, L and H) is found in the cytosol fraction of liver . The level of thiol proteinase inhibitor actually decreased to 60% of that in control rats in leupeptin-treated rats, suggesting that non-thiol proteinase cathepsin A is a major factor in inactivation of aldolase in lysosomes . Not only leupeptin but also other proteinase inhibitors (antipain, E-64-D, chloroquine) caused increase of labilization of the lysosomes and decrease in aldolase activity . Physiological stimuli which are known to induce the labilization of the lysosomal membrane, such as starvation and glucagon, caused slight or no significant increase of activities of free cathepsin A and D and resulted in no apparent change in aldolase activity.

Prog Clin Biol Res, 1982, 88, 31 - 41
Liquid storage of granulocytes; Glasser L; The length of time that neutrophils can be stored is the most limited of any of the formed elements of the blood that are presently transfused clinically . Several methods have been used to evaluate the storage of granulocyte concentrates . These include cell counts, cell volume, morphology, dye exclusion, oxygen consumption, hexose monophosphate shunt activity, nitroblue tetrazolium dye reduction, chemiluminescence, phagocytosis, microbial killing, adhesion, locomotion, intravascular recovery and half life . These tests indicate that the sequential loss of various neutrophil functions during storage is in the reverse order of their chronological acquisition during cellular maturation . Chemotaxis is the most sensitive indicator of neutrophil damage . In vitro tests show that neutrophils can be stored for approximately 24 hours . However, in vivo tests of chemotaxis suggest that this may be too optimistic . Whole blood, plasma and synthetic media have been evaluated for storage . Investigations of the latter are embryonic and further efforts should be encouraged . Several storage conditions have been evaluated . These studies suggest that the ideal conditions for storage area a pH of 7.2, room temperature (20-24C) and no agitation . Neither premedication of the donor with glucocorticoids nor irradiation of the granulocyte concentrate alters the storage potential of the unit . Cells collected by filtration leukapheresis should not be stored.

Scand J Rheumatol, 1982, 11(2), 75 - 80
Functional characteristics of synovial fluid and blood mononuclear cells in rheumatoid arthritis and traumatic synovitis; Petersen J et al.; The activity of blood mononuclear cells (BMC) and synovial fluid mononuclear cells (SMC) from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and traumatic synovitis (TS) was assessed by means of {14C}thymidine incorporation and production of leukocyte migration inhibitory factor (LIF) . When compared with normal controls, spontaneous LIF production by BMC was found in 5 of 9 TS patients, whereas spontaneous LIF production by rheumatoid arthritis BMC and by SMC from both patient groups was infrequently seen . ConA-induced LIF production by BMC and SMC from both patient groups did not differ significantly from that of normal controls . Thymidine incorporation by unstimulated SMC and BMC was low in both patient groups . After stimulation with polyclonal activators, SMC showed significantly reduced proliferation in comparison with BMC, but the responses to microbial antigens were equal to or higher than those of BMC . The proliferative responses of stimulated SMC from TS patients were higher than the responses displayed by stimulated SMC from RA patients.

J Immunol Methods, 1982, 50(2), R65 - 83
Crossed immunoelectrophoresis: qualitative and quantitative considerations; Emmett M et al.; Invented 20 years age, crossed immunoelectrophoresis (X-IEP) today is a technique of unusual power and myriad application . It combines very high resolution with exquisite specificity by alloying 2-dimensional electrophoresis with immunoprecipitation for symbiotic new potentialities . The consequent matchless quantitative/qualitative capabilities of X-IEP for analyzing antigens in complex mixtures, particularly by their idiomatic internal comparison, are still not widely recognized . Because of this and the supposed complications of its use and interpretation, X-IEP is more rarely used than it should be . This essay discusses contemporary X-IEP with the particular aims of demonstrating that it is not difficult to use and of explaining with selected examples why it is peculiarly powerful for analyzing antigen mixtures like the body fluids, tissue and cell extracts, and microbial homogenates.

Adv Intern Med, 1982, 27, 345 - 72
C-reactive protein and the acute phase response; Gewurz H et al.; Since its discovery approximately fifty years ago, CRP has been recognized as the prototype acute phase reactant . Now appreciated as a trace serum protein that elevates markedly in concentration in association with inflammation and tissue necrosis, CRP also has been found deposited at sites of cell injury . Together with its long appreciated ability to initiate precipitation, agglutination, and capsular swelling reactions, these considerations early led to the surmise that CRP may play a role in the host adaptive response . Studies of its binding specificities have indicated that CRP has reactivity with (a) phosphocholine and phosphate esters, and hence with lipids widely distributed in mammalian and microbial cells; and (b) with multiple widely distributed polycations, including those derived from leukocyte granules . Interaction with either of these ligands has been shown to alter CRP in such a way that it can bring about activation of the complement system with generation of all the known C-dependent reactivities, including component consumption, adherence, phagocytosis, and cytolysis . Similarly, modified CRP has been shown to react with the FcR or a closely related receptor of monocytes and lead to phagocytosis, to react with certain FcR-bearing lymphocytes, and to activate the platelet . Thus, CRP shares with immunoglobulins the ability to initiate multiple effector functions that have been associated with the inflammatory response, as well as to bring about primary recognition reactions . Obviously CRP-ligand reactions would be favored during intervals of acute inflammation and tissue necrosis, when larger amounts of CRP are available . Therefore, in addition to serving as a diagnostic aid for the presence of inflammatory and necrotic processes, elevated levels of CRP may well provide an important component of the nonspecific host mechanisms, particularly in the early stages following inflammatory stimuli . Inquiries into the structure and function of CRP indicated an unexpected relationship of this molecule to an amyloid-related protein . The amyloid P component shows remarkable structural similarity to CRP and also exhibits calcium-dependent reactivity with widely distributed ligands; those appreciated to date have mainly involved polysaccharides derived from fungi and natural products . While the only relationship of SAP to an immune-related effector system found to date is reactivity with altered C3, it nonetheless seems plausible that SAP, which like CRP recognizes certain microbial and altered host molecules and has the potential of activating a host effector system at the recognition site . Further inquiry into the structure and functional relationships of these molecules, which are broadly distributed through the vertebrates, should help to reveal the role that CRP and other acute phase proteins have in the body economy and provide additional insights to the understanding of body defense mechanisms in inflammatory, repair, and defense processes generally.

Zentralbl Mikrobiol, 1982, 137(5), 381 - 5
Effect of vitamins on microbial production of citric acid by Aspergillus niger; Lal DN et al.; The effect of different concentrations of ascorbic acid, biotin, p-aminobenzoic acid (PABA), riboflavin and thiamine on the growth and activity of Aspergillus niger strain AL 29 was studied at different incubation periods . It was observed that ascorbic acid and PABA inhibited the growth and activity of the mould, while the presence of thiamine and riboflavin stimulated the citric acid formation to the extent of 59.09% and 50.36%, respectively . However, biotin was found to be most suitable for increasing the mycelial growth and also enhancing the production of citric acid (66.4%).

Scand J Rheumatol, 1982, 11(4), 235 - 8
Chlamydial infection in a family; Yli-Kerttula UI et al.; In a family comprising parents and two daughters, Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) was observed to be the infective agent causing urethritis in the father and conjunctivitis in the newborn . CT was probably a trigger factor in Reiter's syndrome (RS) in the mother, who suffered from arthritis, microscopic pyuria and hematuria, cervicitis and ocular manifestations . The elder daughter's mucocutaneous manifestations, probably keratodermia blennorrhagica, broke out simultaneously with chlamydial infections in the other members of the family . Later she developed joint pains, conjunctivitis and vulvitis . The elder daughter and the father are HLA-B27 negative, whereas the mother is HLA-B27 positive . With this study we would like to emphasize the importance of observing the microbial environment in the family in the etiology of rheumatic disease . Simultaneous treatment of infections in family members might benefit the clinical course of rheumatic disease.

Acta Med Scand, 1982, 211(6), 463 - 7
Neutrophil and lymphocyte function in patients with diabetes mellitus; Valerius NH et al.; Neutrophil granulocyte chemotaxis and intraneutrophilic and plasma levels of lysozyme as well as the number of T and B lymphocytes and lymphocyte transformation in vitro on stimulation with mitogens and microbial antigens were studied in four groups of patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) . Twelve patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) and ketoacidosis and 4 patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus were studied at the time of diagnosis and before and after start of treatment . Ten patients with IDDM of less than 10 years' duration which had been difficult to regulate well and 10 patients with IDDM well regulated for more than 20 years were studied at their regular outpatient visits . Apart from a slight increase in plasma lysozyme in group 1 from the first to the second examination, we found no differences between diabetics and healthy control persons . It is concluded that if patients with DM are more susceptible to infections, it is probably caused by elements of neutrophil or lymphocyte function not examined in this study or by factors unrelated to immunity.

Ann Rheum Dis, 1982, 41 Suppl 1, 3 - 8
Immunosuppression and the rheumatic diseases; Denman AM; Ignorance of the basic nature of rheumatoid arthritis precludes the introduction of rational schemes for using cytotoxic drugs . It is still plausible that the autoimmune and other immunological abnormalities which accompany this disease are the secondary effects of persistent antigen, for example, related to microbial infections . In this event, cytotoxic drugs may diminish the inflammatory response but their effects on immune responses would be irrelevant or even undesirable . Should rheumatoid arthritis prove to be a primary immunoproliferative disorder, cytotoxic drugs may prove to be of value not because of their conventional immunosuppressive effects but because of their selective action on the proliferating cells . Indeed, current evidence suggests that these drugs enhance rather than depress conventional immune responses, at least in the doses given to patients with rheumatic disorders.

Enzyme, 1982, 28(4), 392 - 5
The stereospecificity of 3 alpha- and 12 alpha-bile salt hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase systems from four microbial sources; Macdonald IA et al.; 5 beta-Cholanoates, having a hydroxyl group in the 3 alpha and 3 beta and/or 12 alpha and 12 beta configurations, were tested as substrates for two preparation of 3 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (HSDH) and two preparations of 12 alpha-HSDH . When the 3-OH group was in the alpha configuration, both 3 alpha-HSDH preparations reacted, but when it was in the beta configuration, neither 3 alpha-HSDH preparations reacted . This also held true for the 12 alpha-HSDH preparations.

Scand J Infect Dis Suppl, 1982, 32, 59 - 63
Chlamydia trachomatis in acute and chronic endometritis; Ingerslev HJ et al.; The present report describes microbial, serological, and histological findings in chlamydial endometritis . Irregular bleeding, frequently seen in salpingitis patients, suggests endometritis, being a common manifestation of that disease . Chlamydia trachomatis is known to be a principal etiological agent of acute salpingitis . Chlamydiae can be recovered from the uterine cavity of such patients . A dense plasma-cell infiltration is seen in patients in whose endometrial epithelial cells chlamydial inclusions are found . A significant antibody response may be demonstrated in such patients . In acute salpingitis, the presence of chlamydial endometritis supports evidence from experimental animal studies that indicate a canalicular spread of chlamydiae from the cervix to the fallopian tubes.

Carcinogenesis, 1982, 3(9), 977 - 80
Factors affecting the response of N,N-dimethylaminoazobenzene in the Ames microbial mutation assay; Robertson J et al.; The mutagenicity of N,N-dimethylaminoazobenzene (DAB) is difficult to demonstrate in Ames' test . Usually there are specific requirements for activation by post-mitochondrial supernatant fluid (S-9) from Aroclor-treated rat livers and the pre-incubation modification of the test . Results from this laboratory suggest, however, that pre-incubation is not essential; also, that, contrary to published reports, concentrations of S-9 greater than 10% in S-9 mix do not reduce the mutagenic response . Induction of enzyme activity well above normal levels, on the other hand, is necessary, but this requirement can be substituted by the addition of norharman . If a competent S-9 mix is used, pre-incubation with or without shaking does not alter the response and supplementation with ATP or NADH similarly has no effect . It is concluded that interlaboratory differences in the ability to demonstrate DAB mutagenicity reflect differences in the level of induction of liver enzymes and, possibly, the concentration of endogenous co-factors.

Exp Pathol, 1982, 21(2), 99 - 116
Structural similarities between a membrane-like surface layer on the cell wall of some microbial cells and the lamellar layer of vesicles formed by short-chain phosphonic acids in water . A freeze-fracture study; Meyer HW; A thin layer on the cell wall of some microbial cells, among them such of medical importance (Aspergillus niger, Trichophyton sp.), is characterized by a mosaic-like rodlet pattern in freeze-fracture electron microscopy . A very similar texture could be found in freeze-fractured bilayer vesicles of n-octan phosphonic acid in presence of 50% glycerol . The formation of this structure in phosphonic acid vesicles is connected with the transformation of the bilayer into the solid crystalline state by cooling . The texture could be suppressed by a higher cooling velocity . In absence of glycerol by the normal quick freezing procedure predominantly intermediate stages were fixed . For the interpretation of the structures revealed a model is proposed, where trigonal subunits stick together, because they are hydrophobic on the one side . These subunits are small crystals with a diameter of 4--7 nm . They are in principle also able to construct a bilayer arrangement directly by a "subassembly-selfassembly" mechanism of selforganization . The membrane-like layer on the cell wall of microbial cells may consist of a crystalline bilayer arrangement of similar substances.

Z Allg Mikrobiol, 1982, 22(2), 139 - 48
Microbial methane oxidation in the River Saar; Zaiss U et al.; In the River Saar, the distribution of methane-oxidizing bacteria and their metabolic activity were determined in vertical and longitudinal profiles . At the sediment surface about two orders of magnitude more methane oxidizers were detected than in the overlying water . In the river as well as in laboratory experiments, the rate of methane oxidation was closely related to the concentration of methane . Most of the methane produced by methanogenic bacteria in the the sediment escaped into the atmosphere . On the average only 1.2% of the produced methane was oxidized in the water phase.

Arkh Patol, 1982, 44(3), 59 - 65
{Morphologic features of the phagocytosis of filamentous forms of bacteria by neutrophilic granulocytes}; Pigarevskii VE et al.; A model system has been developed (B . megaterium + granulocyte) imitating the mechanisms of phagocytosis of filamentous forms of bacteria by neutrophilic granulocytes . In the capture of multicellular microbial filaments by one or several granulocytes predominate the mechanisms of cell membrane invagination and formation of exocytic secretory system providing the inhibition of the activity of the phagocytized agent and release of microbicidal factors and enzymes into the extracellular environment . The importance and frequency of occurrence of the observed phenomenon in different pathological forms have not been elucidated.

Arzneimittelforschung, 1982, 32(2), 106 - 10
{Absorption of isosorbide dinitrate in guinea-pig intestine and in the colon of sheep (author's transl)}; Schmidt A et al.; Segments of the intestine of anaesthetized guinea-pigs and the colon of conscious sheep were perfused with saline containing 0.1--25 mg/l 1,4:3,6-dianhydrosorbitol-2,5-dinitrate (isosorbide dinitrate, ISDN) . The increase in ISDN uptake was linearly related to its concentration . Absorption was rapid . In the jejunum and the ileum of guinea-pig, 7% of perfused ISDN was absorbed per 10 cm of intestine in the proximal and 15% in the distal colon, respectively . In the total colon of sheep, 83% disappeared during the perfusion . Per unit of length, surface or dry weight of mucosa the net flux of ISDN in the small intestine was only half that in the colon . Absorption from the colon per unit of wet weight of the gut was only slightly higher compared to the small intestine . 1 h after the infusion of 14C-labelled ISDN into the large intestine of sheep filled with normal contents 14C-activity was detected in the plasma, a maximum was reached after 4 h . Renal excretion of ISDN or its 14C-labelled metabolites was parallel to the ISDN concentration in blood . Microbial degradation of ISDN to CO2 in colon contents was insignificant.

Scan Electron Microsc, 1982, (Pt 4), 1677 - 85
Isolation and ultrastructural examination of conidial wall components of Coccidioides and Aspergillus; Cole GT et al.; The role of the propagule in the initiation of fungal disease is not fully appreciated . Knowledge of the nature of early interactions between infectious propagules and host tissue during onset of respiratory mycoses is particularly scanty . This stems partly from lack of sufficient data on the structure, chemical composition and immunological activity of the microbial surface . In this study, a technique is described for isolation and subsequent ultrastructural examination of the surface wall components of infectious propagules (conidia) produced by the respiratory fungal pathogens, Coccidioides immitis and Aspergillus fumigatus . The SEM has proved very useful in monitoring the cell shearing procedure employed for isolation of the outer conidial wall fractions.

Crit Rev Biomed Eng, 1982, 8(4), 311 - 33
Analysis of regularities and process efficiencies in living systems; Erickson LE et al.; In the analysis of microbial growth and product formation, regularities which utilize available electron concepts have been used with considerable success . The facts that the heat of reaction per electron transferred to oxygen, the number of available electrons per carbon atom in microbial biomass and the weight fraction carbon in microbial biomass are relatively constant constitute the regularities . Values of these regularities are presented for carbohydrates, proteins, and fats . The free energy of reaction per electron transferred to oxygen is also examined as a regularity . Results of prior work with regularities in living systems are reviewed . Work on the utilization of these concepts in the analysis of process efficiency in living systems is presented.

Arch Oral Biol, 1982, 27(7), 553 - 9
Attachment of cell fragments of Fusobacterium nucleatum to oral epithelial cells, gingival fibroblasts and white blood cells; Falkler WA Jr et al.; The characteristic haemagglutination (HA) caused by Fusobacterium nucleatum strains was used for measuring their attachment to oral epithelial, gingival fibroblast and white blood cells . Whole cells and sonicated preparations of oral F . nucleatum strains VPI No . 4355, 10197 and ATCC No . 10953 haemagglutinated human and sheep red blood cells . Sonicated preparations of the organisms were tested for HA activity before and after absorption with human cells . Buccal epithelial, gingival fibroblast and white blood cells bound the HA-active fragments, as observed by: (1) decrease in the HA activity of the sonicated preparation after absorption, (2) increase in HA activity of the cells used for absorption, (3) presence of microbial fragments on the cells after absorption detected by fluorescent antibody . The HA-active fragments were released from the cells by EDTA; furthermore, galactose but not glucose inhibited the attachment of F . nucleatum to human cells . The role of cell binding in colonization by the organisms and in immune-stimulated damage to host cells is important.

Reprod Nutr Dev, 1982, 22(5), 865 - 79
{Effect of diets low in phosphorus and high in dietary calcium on phosphatemia and phosphorus and calcium levels in rumen contents of sheep}; Durand M et al.; Four semi-purified diets with different calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) contents were given to adult sheep at a level of 1 kg daily plus 100 g of straw . The phosphorus was supplied as dicalcium phosphate, almost insoluble in rumen fluid . In the preliminary period, all the animals (16) were fed the test diet (NCa-NP) containing 8.4 g of Ca and 3.3 . g of P . In the experimental period (table 3) two trials were carried out . In trial 1, two groups of 5 sheep each were given for 5 weeks a diet low in P (1 g/kg) and either low (2 g/kg) (diet BCa-BP) or high (10 g/kg) (diet HtCa-BP) in calcium . In trial 2, which lasted for 19 weeks, the HtCa-BP diet was compared to a high Ca (10 g/kg) normal P (3.3 g/kg) diet (diet HtCa-NP); two groups of 2 sheep each were fed both these diets every 3 hours, and one group (HtCa-BP) was fed twice daily . The concentration of ultrafilterable inorganic Ca (CaiU) in the rumen contents was related to the Ca level of the diet (tables 4, 5) . However, individual variations were high and CaiU concentrations were negatively correlated to rumen pH (fig . 7) . When diets adequate in P were fed, ruminal concentrations of ultrafilterable P (PiU) were rather high (400-490 mg/l), showing the importance of endogenous P supply in the rumen . With an adequate P supply, a high Ca intake had no effect on either plasma or ruminal PiU . When low P diets were fed, there was a steady decrease in plasma Pi from 6 to 3.5 mg P/100 ml and in ruminal PiU from 500 mg/l to values lower than 300 mg/l up to 5-6 experimental weeks . These decreases were greatest with high Ca intake (HtCa-BP diet) (figs . 2, 3), some animals being markedly affected (ruminal PiU values lower than 20 mg/l) . However, the decreases in ruminal PiU were less pronounced with frequent feeding than with feeding twice a day . Considering all the results obtained, ruminal PiU concentrations were positively correlated with plasma Pi concentrations (r = + 0.77; n = 75) (fig . 8) . Therefore, high Ca intake can enhance the response to P deficiency and reduce further plasma Pi concentrations and levels of available P in the rumen . Microbial P requirements may not be satisfied in such conditions, which would reduce ruminal microbial digestion in some animals.

Reprod Nutr Dev, 1982, 22(3), 575 - 81
Dietary fiber and cholesterol and bile acid metabolisms in axenic (germfree) and holoxenic (conventional) rats . II . Effect of pectin; Sacquet E et al.; Axenic and holoxenic rats were fed with a semi-synthetic diet containing 5 p . 100 pectin as the only fiber . Although the microbial flora of the digestive tract converted most of the bile acids in holoxenic rats, it hardly changed the other characteristics of cholesterol and bile acid metabolisms, except intestinal bile salt pools which were much larger in the axenic rats . When the pectin-containing and pectin-free diets were compared, it appeared that the former diet increased cecal weight, especially in axenic rats, but slightly modified cholesterol and bile acid metabolisms . However, the values of some characteristics of those metabolisms varied individually in the holoxenic rat fed with the pectin-containing diet, while they were very homogeneous in the other groups . This heterogeneity might result from pectin-digestive tract microbial flora interactions which would vary among individuals.

Clin Ther, 1982, 5(1), 69 - 78
Clinical pharmacokinetics of cefotaxime and penetration in sputum, bone, and prostatic tissue; Braga PC et al.; Cefotaxime is a new powerful methoxycephalosporin with a broad anti-microbial spectrum, suitable for parenteral administration . In the present study, the concentrations of cefotaxime in serum and in bronchial secretion were determined after intramuscular injection of 1 gm every eight hours for seven days . Subjects were patients suffering from an exacerbation of chronic bronchitis . Serum levels versus time curve were interpreted in terms of a one-compartment open model . Pharmacokinetic parameters after single and multiple doses were investigated . No evidence of significant accumulation was found . Furthermore, a type of in vivo rate of killing with cefotaxime was investigated by evaluating the decrease in the number of colonies in bronchial mucus cultures daily for seven days . In two groups of volunteers who had to undergo surgery, bone and prostatic concentrations of cefotaxime were determined and correlated with serum levels.

Basic Life Sci, 1982, 20, 361 - 78
Perspectives in molecular mutagenesis; Drake JW; The models and paradigms that underlie a vigorously developing science may tend to stifle progress or may serve to sharpen the knife edge of paradox . Working out mutagenic mechanisms is a conceptually and technologically demanding task, and we are accumulating an increasingly uncomfortable number of experimental and theoretical inconsistencies . First, there continue to be widespread difficulties in specifying the chemical nature of mutagenic DNA alterations, both because of the multitude of DNA reaction products induced by many mutagens and because of the intrinsic rarity of most mutational responses . For instance, alkylation of the 0(6) position of guanine to generate adducts of modest dimensions is widely believed to form the basis for the mutagenic and carcinogenic actions of numerous chemicals . However, while this scheme is supported by in vitro evidence, it has failed to explain why bacteriophages can be thus alkylated in vitro by N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine without the production of mutations, or why microbial eukaryotes alkylated by ethyl methanesulfonate or N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine display no mutagenic response when their "error-prone repair systems" are mutationally inactivated . Second, a base pair is typically mutated at vastly different rates, and with different directional specificities, when it resides at different positions within a gene; whereas very little of this variability is explained by current theories that aim to describe the determinants of fidelity in DNA replication . (Some sizable portion of this variation now appears to depend not only upon neighboring base-pair influences but also upon much more subtle and distant effects) . Third, experimental modifications of enzymatic fidelity by means of amino acid substitutions, and perhaps also cation replacements, lead to such a diversity of modified mutation rates as to seriously challenge the ability of any simple theory to organize the experimental observations into a coherent and predictive network.

Prikl Biokhim Mikrobiol, 1982 Jan-Feb, 18(1), 3 - 15
{Microbial alpha-galactosidase (a review)}; Ulezlo IV et al.; The review discusses properties, distribution and potential use of microbial alpha-galactosidase (alpha-D-galactoside galactohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.22), the enzyme catalyzing degradation of alpha-D-galactoside bonds . Recent years have witnessed many publications describing microbial alpha-galactosidase which, in contrast to the similar enzyme from higher plants, has been poorly studied . The microbial enzyme has certain specificities: a smaller substrate specificity, existence in one molecular form, etc . The present communication is an attempt to systematize the data about microbial alpha-galactosidase and to outline the most important investigations for the future.

Drug Metab Rev, 1982, 13(3), 387 - 406
Toxicity of 2, 3, 7, 8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD); Kociba RJ et al.; In summary, the toxicity of TCDD has been comprehensively examined in multiple acute, subchronic, and chronic studies . Acute toxicity studies have shown marked species differences, with up to a 10,000-fold difference between the single oral LD50 dose for the guinea pig and hamster . TCDD is capable of causing an acnegenic response in man and a similar skin response in certain animals . It is also a potent inducer of microsomal enzymes in some but not all species . A dose-related suppression of cell-mediated immunity has been observed at higher dose levels in laboratory animals but not in humans manifesting TCDD-induced acnegenic response . TCDD causes a dose-related teratogenic response in mice, with the no-adverse-effect level of 0.1 micrograms TCDD/kg/day . In rats, TCDD causes embryo- and fetotoxicity above the no-adverse-effect level of 0.03-0.125 micrograms/kg/day . Dose-related reproductive effects have also been noted in monkeys at doses that elicit maternal toxicity, and additional long-term studies are presently underway . A multigeneration reproduction study as well as a lifetime chronic toxicity study have been completed with TCDD in rats; in both studies, the no-adverse-effect level was found to be 0.001 microgram TCDD/kg/day . Numerous mutagenic studies have been performed using in vitro plant and microbial test systems as well as in vivo tests in mammals and man . A mutagenic response was noted in a few of the vitro test systems, but there are no definitive in vivo correlates of TCDD mutagenicity in higher mammals or man . TCDD has been studied for carcinogenic potential in rats and mice . There is good correlation of the results, with a carcinogenic response noted in both species only after long-term ingestion of higher dose levels that induce toxicity . No carcinogenic response occurred at continuous dose levels of 0.001-0.0014 micrograms/kg/day in rats and 0.001-0.03 micrograms/kg/day in mice . Data presently available are more supportive of a nongenetic (?promotor) rather than a genetic mechanism of carcinogenesis . The most recent research, some of which is still underway, indicates that the biologic uptake and toxicity of TCDD may be significantly decreased if the TCDD is adsorbed onto carbon or soil particles . This information is helpful in hazard assessment of exposure to TCDD.

Rev Fr Mal Respir, 1982, 10(6), 369 - 89
{Proteases, antiproteases and pulmonary emphysema}; Pelletier A et al.; A deficiency of alpha 1 antiproteases is associated with severe and early emphysema . This emphysema can be experimentally produced in animals by endotracheal instillation of elastolytic proteases . Thus it would seem that emphysema is linked to an imbalance between proteases and antiproteases at the pulmonary level . This work studies the proteases, whose role in the genesis of emphysema is highly probable in view of the data in the literature (leukocyte elastase), disputed (macrophage elastase) or transitory (microbial elastases) . We contrast the main agents capable of inhibiting these proteases (alpha 1 antiprotease and bronchial inhibitors) or of changing their activity (alpha 2 macroglobulins) . The relative importance of these antiproteases is discussed in the light of studies made on bronchial secretions and bronchoalveolar lavage . These irritants may influence the protease - antiprotease equilibrium and favour the development of emphysema by increasing the proteases or decreasing the antiproteases . It appears that tobacco, as well as infection and anything which sets in motion the pulmonary phagocytes favour the liberation of leucocyte elastase . These attacks inactive the alpha 1 antiproteases in addition to the bronchial inhibitor . They may be recognized by a change in elastolytic and anti-elastolytic activity observed in bronchial secretions and in bronchoalveolar lavage (which is more disputed in the latter).

Digestion, 1982, 23(1), 57 - 64
Acute hemorrhagic pancreatic necrosis in mice . Effects of proteinase inhibitors on its induction; Lombardi B et al.; An acute hemorrhagic pancreatitis with fat necrosis (AHPN) was induced in female mice fed a choline-deficient diet containing 0.5% DL-ethionine . The effect of various proteinase inhibitors on the induction of the pancreatitis was evaluated using three parameters, the mortality of the animals, the appearance before death of a shock-like state, and the severity of the pancreatic pathology . Treatment of the animals with leupeptin, pepstatin, chymostatin and/or antipain, proteinase inhibitors of microbial origin, resulted in a distinct attenuation of the severity of the induced process, whereas aprotinin and chloroquine had no effect . The results indicate that use of the microbial proteinase inhibitors should be considered as potential therapeutic agents in cases of pancreatitis.

Tokai J Exp Clin Med, 1982, 7 Suppl, 185 - 92
Fimbrial adherence factors from pathogenic Escherichia coli strains; Klemm P; The ability of many bacteria to adhere to specific host tissues is a factor of primary importance in diseases such as bacterial diarrhea, gonorrhea and bladder and kidney infections . Specific adherence allows the pathogen to resist removal by the flushing and cleaning mechanisms of the host, and determines the site of microbial invasion . In many bacteria, including pathogenic E . coli, such an adhesion is mediated by fimbria, of which several species have been characterized . A single fimbria consists of hundreds of identical subunits . Each provides an attachment site for a host epithelial receptor, and by subunit-subunit interaction furnishes the necessary structural integrity of the fimbria superstructure . Furthermore, segments of the fimbrial peptide chain are able to provoke an immune response in the host . In order to define structural and functional parameters in fimbriae one may use the information and inherent constraints provided in the molecular data on these bacterial adhesins now available.

Gene, 1981 Dec, 16(1-3), 59 - 61
Plasmid reference center registry of transposon (Tn) allocations through July 1981; Lederberg EM; The criteria for transposable genetic elements (Cohen, 1976) were stated at the Cold Spring Harbor meeting in 1976 (Campbell et al., 1977) and defined and clarified further (Campbell et al., 1979) . At that meeting the Plasmid Reference Center agreed to serve as a clearing house for continuous transposon registry . Interim lists have been previously published (Lederberg, 1978, 1980, Microbial Genetics Bulletin 44 : 31; ibid 48 : 90) . A complete file of Tn elements is listed below.

Xenobiotica, 1981 Nov, 11(11), 749 - 54
Bacterial degradation of aminopyrine; Blecher H et al.; 1 . Four strains of bacteria growing with aminopyrine as sole source of carbon were isolated from soil and were identified as strains of Phenylobacterium immobilis . 2 . Strain M13 and strain E, the type species of Phenylobacterium immobilis (DSM 1986), which had been isolated by enrichment with chloridazon (5-amino-4-chloro-2-phenyl-2H-pyridazin-3-one) were used to investigate the bacterial degradation of aminopyrine . 3 . Three metabolites were isolated and identified as: 4-(dimethylamino)-1,2-dihydro-1,5-dimethyl-2-(2,3-dihydro-2,3-dihydroxy-4,6-cyc lohexadien-1-yl)-3H-pyrazol-3-one, 4-(dimethylamino)-1,2-dihydro-1,5-dimethyl-2-(2,3-dihydroxyphenyl)-3H-pyrazol-3 -one and 4-(dimethylamino)-1,2-dihydro-1,5-dimethyl-3H-pyrazol-3-one . 4 . An enzyme extract from cells of strain m13 was shown to further metabolize the catechol derivative of aminopyrine, with the formation of 2-pyrone-6-carboxylic acid . 5 . Results indicate that the benzene ring of aminopyrine is the principal site of microbial metabolism.

Vestn Khir Im I I Grek, 1981 Nov, 127(11), 124 - 7
{Treatment errors in suppurative and inflammatory diseases}; Mazchenko NS; The experience of treatment of 1011 patients with suppurative inflammatory diseases is described . In 292 of them the surgical intervention was found to be late . The analysis of errors has shown that it is not necessary to wait for the appearance of reliable symptoms of accumulation of pus . In the postoperative period 34 patients were not given proper drainage of purulent cavities . When prescribing corticosteroids, contraindications should be taken into consideration as well as hormonal characteristics of the patient and the sensitivity of his microbial flora of antibiotics.

Br J Nutr, 1981 Nov, 46(3), 549 - 58
The absorption and secretion of calcium in the gastrointestinal tract of germ-free and conventional chicks; Palmer MF et al.; 1 . The uptake transport and secretion of calcium into the gastrointestinal tract of germ-free (GF) and conventional (CV) chicks was determined by a variety of in vivo and in vitro techniques using 45Ca as a marker following a standard fast-fed regimen . 2 . Following an oral dose of Ca in conscious chicks, the transit time of digesta in the GF birds was appreciably faster than in the CV controls . 3 . Although the proportion of the Ca dose absorbed was similar in both groups of chicks, the accumulation of Ca in the intestinal wall was much greater in CV birds . Distribution of the labelled Ca in plasma and bone was similar in both groups . 4 . Following intravenous CA injection in conscious chicks in Ca secretion into the intestinal lumen was similar in both groups, but the amount appearing in the gut wall was appreciably greater in CV chicks . 5 . There were regional differences in the ability of the gut to absorb Ca . There was a tendency for Ca uptake to be greater in the GF chicks but only in the proximal ileum did this approach significance . 6 . When the Ca was confined to an intestinal loop the uptake/g tissue was similar in the proximal ileum of both groups but significantly greater in the distal ileum of the GF group . Uptake/10 mm gut was similar in both groups at both the proximal and the distal size . 7 . It is suggested that the absence of a microbial load does not affect the ability of the enterocyte to absorb Ca but the subsequent removal of the absorbed load from the intestinal wall is appreciably slower in the CV group.

J Immunol, 1981 Nov, 127(5), 1931 - 6
Stimulation of mouse lymphocytes by a mitogen derived from Mycoplasma arthritidis . I . Transformation is associated with an H-2-linked gene that maps to the I-E/I-C subregion; Cole BC et al.; Cell-free supernatant derived from broth cultures of Mycoplasma arthritidis functions as an effective T cell mitogen for lymphocytes from H2k and H2d strain mice . Lymphocytes from animals of the H2b, H2q, and H2s haplotypes failed to respond to this mitogen . By employing lymphocytes derived from congenic and recombinant strains we established the H2 linkage and mapped the controlling gene to the I-E/I-C subregion . In addition, these studies suggested that a correlation existed between responsiveness to this microbial product and the presence of the Ia7 specificity, a product of the I-E subregion.

Agents Actions, 1981 Nov, 11(5), 458 - 72
Mechanisms of action of gold; Leibfarth JH et al.; Since the successful introduction of injectable gold compounds for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis over 50 years ago, numerous studies on the possible mechanism of action have been performed . This heavy metal has been show to possess a bewildering array of biological effects . Studies using gold performed both in vitro and in vivo can be grouped into anti-microbial, anti-immunologic, anti-inflammatory, anti-enzymatic and other effects . In this survey, we have analyzed these multiple approaches to the study of the mechanism of action of injectable gold preparations and apply the findings to rheumatoid arthritis.

Hoppe Seylers Z Physiol Chem, 1981 Nov, 362(11), 1435 - 45
Synthesis of leupeptins and inhibition of proteinases . I . Inhibition of acrosin and trypsin; Borin G et al.; A series of leupeptin analogs R-L-leucyl-L-leucyl-L-argininal with variable N-terminal substituents has been synthesized using N alpha-tert-butyl-oxycarbonyl-NG-benzyloxycarbonyl-L-arginine-delta-lactam as the starting material . The modified leupeptins proved to be strong competitive inhibitors of the endoprotease acrosin from mammalian spermatozoa . Inhibition constants were found in the range of 4.7 X 10(-7)M (R = H) to 9.7 X 10(-9)M (R = tert-butyloxycarbonyl) . N alpha-tert-butyloxycarbonyl leupeptin represents the strongest acrosin inhibitor synthesized so far . Two of the leupeptin derivatives (R = trifluoroacetyl, R = tert-butyloxycarbonyl) were more effective than the natural leupeptins from microbial sources (Ki = 5.9 X 10(-8)M) . The potential use of synthetic leupeptins as antienzymatic contraceptives is discussed.

Surg Gynecol Obstet, 1981 Nov, 153(5), 749 - 55
Plasma proteins and wound healing; Powanda MC et al.; In response to injury, the concentrations of several plasma proteins are characteristically altered . In part, these changes reflect an essential contribution of many of these proteins, acting in concert, to the processes involved in wound healing . There is evidence that plasma proteins support tissue repair by metabolic as well as functional activity . Specifically, plasma proteins may directly facilitate wound healing by: provision of carbohydrates, lipids and amino acids in a usable form as biosynthetic precursors and energetic substrates; the transport of trace metal cofactors involved in various wound repair processes; adhesion of regenerating tissue; modulation of the rate of structural protein synthesis; alignment of collagen subunits; organization of cellular elements wound repair; prevention of autoimmune reactions; hormone transport and local modulation of hormonal effects; neutralization of the potentially toxic products of the inflammatory response and the inhibition of microbial invasion and colonization.

Z Gesamte Inn Med . 1981 Nov 1;36(21):840.
{Immunological data in the clinical evaluation of Hodgkin's diseases}; Burchardt K; 87 adult patients with histologically confirmed diagnosis of Hodgkin's disease were examined to analyse the pattern of immune alterations with regard to the clinical stage and course of disease, and the response to treatment . Patients with advanced stages of the disease or with radio- or chemotherapeutically induced remission showed a decrease in total lymphocyte counts and a diminished count of T-lymphocytes . The lymphocyte transformation and the reactions in skin tests with DNCB and microbial antigens were the more disturbed the more the disease was advanced . Below a critical number of circulating T-lymphocytes measuring 500 cells per mm3 of peripheral blood an inhibition of T-cell function has been found . The authors conclude that a positive correlation between an undisturbed immune status and a good prognosis in Hodgkin's disease is highly probable.

Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol, 1981 Nov, (11), 84 - 9
{Diagnostic significance of immunoglobulins in infectious allergic bronchial asthma}; Zheltvai VV et al.; In 100 patients with infectious allergic bronchial asthma the levels of IgM . IgG and IgA were determined by Mancini's method and the levels of IgE, tissue and microbial antibodies by the Prausnitz - Kustner test before and after combined treatment carried out under conditions of the microclimate of the salt mines in the village of Solotvino . The data on the content of immunoglobulins in the blood serum allowed the authors to establish 3 types of immediate hypersensitivity . THe decreased content of IgM in the blood serum indirectly revealed the role of immune complexes in the pathogenesis of infectious allergic bronchial asthma . The high content of IgE suggested that atopy could take some part in the infectious process.

Clin Exp Immunol, 1981 Nov, 46(2), 250 - 8
The isolation of the antibody moieties of immune complexes from serum by the pepsin digestion of conglutinin-anti-conglutinin complexes; Lachmann PJ et al.; A technique is described which allows the antibodies of circulating immune complexes to be isolated as their F(ab')2 fragments . The method is based on the precipitation of the complexes by the sequential addition of conglutinin and anti-conglutinin, and the subsequent digestion of these precipitates by pepsin . Using this technique it has been possible to show antibodies to Epstein-Barr (EB) virus antigens in the immune complexes of patients with Burkitt's lymphoma and to microbial antigens in two patients with nephritis . By substituting DNAase for pepsin it has also been possible to show antibodies to DNA-containing nuclear antigens in the serum of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

Biochemistry, 1981 Oct 27, 20(22), 6457 - 62
Structure of pseudobactin A, a second siderophore from plant growth promoting Pseudomonas B10; Teintze M et al.; The structure of nonfluorescent pseudobactin A, one of two extracellular siderophores (microbial iron transport agents) produced by the plant growth promoting bacterium Pseudomonas B10, was determined by comparison of its 1H and 13C NMR spectra with those of yellow-green, fluorescent pseudobactin, the other siderophore . The molecular and crystal structure of ferric pseudobactin is reported in the preceding paper in this issue {Teintze, M., Hossain, M . B., Barnes, C . L., Leong J., & van der Helm, D . (1981) Biochemistry (preceding paper in this issue)} . The only structural difference between pseudobactin and pseudobactin A was that the latter was saturated at carbons 3 and 4 of the quinoline derivative, whereas pseudobactin is unsaturated at these positions . A mechanism is proposed for the observed conversion of pseudobactin A into pseudobactin in aqueous solution.

Biochemistry, 1981 Oct 13, 20(21), 6185 - 90
Thermal denaturation of streptomyces subtilisin inhibitor, subtilisin BPN', and the inhibitor-subtilisin complex; Takahashi K et al.; The thermal unfolding of the microbial proteinase inhibitor Streptomyces subtilisin inhibitor (SSI) {Sato, S., & Murao, S . (1973) Agric, Biol . Chem . 37, 1067-1074), the bacterial proteinase subtilisin BPN' (EC 3.4.21.14), and the complex formed by these two proteins has been studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) . The thermal denaturation of SSI at pH 7.00 is fully reversible while those of subtilisin BPN' and its complex with SSI are not . The DSC data show that dimeric SSI remains dimeric as the temperature is raised until it unfolds and that it then dissociates during the unfolding process . The apparent specific heat of denatured SSI decreases rapidly with increasing temperature, a behavior not previously observed for proteins . The shape of the DSC curves observed with the enzyme-inhibitor complex suggests that the two components of the complex undergo their unfolding transitions more or less independently . The enthalpies of unfolding of mixtures of enzyme and inhibitor in various molar ratios indicate a substantially large enthalph of interaction than that deduced from fluorescence titrations (Uehara, Y., Tonomura, B., & Hiromi, K . (1978) J . Biochem . (Tokyo) 84, 1195-1202).

Science, 1981 Oct 2, 214(4516), 24 - 30
Natural killer cells: their roles in defenses against disease; Herberman RB et al.; Natural killer cells are a recently discovered subpopulation of lymphoid cells that are present in most normal individuals of a range of mammalian and avian species . Natural killer cells have spontaneous cytolytic activity against a variety of tumor cells and some normal cells, and their reactivity can be rapidly augmented by interferon . They have characteristics distinct from other types of lymphoid cells and are closely associated with large granular lymphocytes, which comprise about 5 percent of blood or splenic leukocytes . There is increasing evidence that natural killer cells, with the ability to mediate natural resistance against tumors in vivo, certain virus and other microbial diseases, and bone marrow transplants, may play an important role in immune surveillance.

Antibiotiki, 1981 Oct, 26(10), 756 - 61
{Experimental effect of the polysaccharide mannan on lymph and blood serum biochemical indices}; Polosova RG et al.; The effect of mannan, a polysaccharide of the microbial origin on the content of protein fractions, total protein, glucose, cholesterol (total, free and bound), urea, urea nitrogen and residual nitrogen in the lymph and serum of blood was studied on rabbits . Mannan was administered intramuscularly in the form of a 0.06 per cent solution in single doses of 0.06-6 mg/kg and repeatedly in doses of 0.60-3 mg/kg for 3-49 days . The lymph specimens were collected from the thoracic duct 1 and 24 hours after mannan administration . The study showed that in any dose administered once mannan induced an increase in the content of upsilon-globulin in the lymph and no increase in the blood serum, characterized by changes in the ratio of the other protein fractions . No other changes in the biochemical indices of the blood lymph and serum in the experimental animals were noted . When used repeatedly mannan had no effect on the content of protein fractions in the blood lymph and serum . the study on changes in the biochemical indices of the lymph provided additional data on the character of the mannan effect in the host.

Appl Environ Microbiol, 1981 Sep, 42(3), 461 - 3
Microbial formation of secondary and tertiary amines in municipal sewage; Thomas JM et al.; Dimethylamine was formed in municipal sewage that was amended with creatinine, and trimethylamine was formed from choline or phosphatidylcholine . The maximum level of product that accumulated was equivalent to 0.13, 0.096, and 6.7% by weight, respectively, of the added chemicals . No dimethylamine or trimethylamine was detected in sewage amended with betaine, and no dimethylamine was found in sewage that was amended with methylamine and methionine.

Br J Nutr, 1981 Sep, 46(2), 357 - 70
The effect of grinding and pelleting on the digestion of Italian ryegrass and timothy by sheep; Beever DE et al.; 1 . Primary growths of Italian ryegrass and timothy were harvested in late May, high-temperature dried and either retained in the chopped form or ground through a 2 mm sieve and pelleted . All diets were fed to four sheep fitted with re-entrant cannulas into the proximal duodenum and measurements of the sites of energy and protein digestion and the synthesis of volatile fatty acids (VFA) and microbial protein were made . 2 . Grinding and pelleting significantly reduced rumen digestion of organic matter and structural carbohydrate (P less than 0.05) and the synthesis of rumen VFA (P less than 0.01), whilst significantly more digestion occurred in the hind gut, although this was not sufficient to prevent a decline in over-all digestibility on the pelleted diets (P less than 0.05) . The magnitude of all responses was much larger on the Italian ryegrass diet . 3 . Net microbial protein synthesis was 15% less on the pelleted diets but efficiency of microbial protein synthesis was unaffected (mean 188 g/kg rumen digested organic matter) . Pelleting reduced the degradation of dietary protein from 69% to 47%, and dietary protein represented significantly more of the total protein flowing to the duodenum on the pelleted diets (chopped 28%, pelleted 41%) . 4 . Over-all, grinding and pelleting reduced total absorbed energy supply by 10% but increased absorbed protein supply by 15% which may contribute to some of the improvements seen in the net energy value of pelleted diets.

Am J Hosp Pharm, 1981 Sep, 38(9), 1301 - 3
Airborne drug levels in a laminar-flow hood; Kleinberg ML et al.; The airborne levels of fluorouracil and cefazolin sodium injections after manipulation of these drug products inside a horizontal laminar-flow hood were measured . The Biotest RCS Centrifugal Air Sampler, generally used to measure microbial levels in air, was adapted with a paper filter to measure drug levels in air . In each of nine trials, five ampuls of fluorouracil were opened in the hood and transferred to empty vials . Likewise, in each of nine trials, 50 vials of cefazolin sodium 1 g were reconstituted and transferred to small-volume i.v . solutions . Drug manipulations were performed between the hood's filter and the Biotest, which was placed inside the hood . Drug collected on the filter in the Biotest was assayed with ultraviolet spectrophotometry after extraction . The range of fluorouracil collected by the Biotest was from 0 to 14 microgram, corresponding to 0-0.07 microgram/liter of sample air . Recovered cefazolin sodium ranged from 28 to 131 microgram, or 0.02-0.11 microgram/liter of sampled air . Following routine manipulation of drug products in a laminar-flow hood, the drug can contaminate, the air flowing over the product.

Pediatrics, 1981 Sep, 68(3), 416 - 9
Dental caries potential of liquid medications; Feigal RJ et al.; Cariogenicity of seven commonly prescribed liquid medications was studied . Sucrose content of the medications ranged from 0 to 70 gm/100 ml . Initial pH and buffering capacity were measured and found to vary widely among the medications . Intraoral microbial plaque pH changes were determined at intervals for 30 minutes following an oral rinse with each medication . These data were compared with plaque pH changes caused by rinsing with an established cariogenic challenge, 10% sucrose solution . Decreased plaque pH was caused by each medication tested . The extent and duration of the pH drop varied among the medications . Patterns of the pH curves are discussed in relation to sucrose content, endogenous pH, and buffering capacity of the medications . Intraoral pH response to several medications equaled or exceeded that seen when sucrose rinses alone were given . The findings are discussed in relation to dental caries-producing potential of long-term therapy with liquid medications, and two cases are presented that implicate liquid medications as a major etiologic factor leading to rampant dental decay . It is concluded that health practitioners should be aware of the sucrose content of pediatric medications . Patient education to ensure adequate oral clearance following each dose of medication is an essential first step in minimizing the risk of dental decay posed by long-term therapy with liquid medications.

Br J Nutr, 1981 Sep, 46(2), 301 - 13
The effect of type and level of protein, fibre and starch on nitrogen excretion patterns in rats; Beames RM et al.; 1 . Three series of nitrogen balance experiments were performed with growing rats to test the effect of type and level of protein, fibre and starch on N excretion patterns . The design involved eighteen treatments in a 3 X 3 X 2 factorial experiment with five rats per dietary treatment . The eighteen treatments resulted from a combination of three protein treatments, three fibre treatments and two starch treatments . Protein treatments consisted of one level (15 g N/kg DM) of casein fortified with methionine, a protein of high digestibility, and two levels (15 and 20 g N/kg DM) of autoclaved brown beans (Phaseolus vulgaris), a protein source of low digestibility . The fibre treatments were two levels of cellulose powder and one level of barley hulls . The two starch treatments were autoclaved potato starch and autoclaved and raw potato starch (1:1, w/w) . 2 . The inclusion of raw potato starch reduced true protein digestibility markedly when the protein source was casein, but the corresponding biological values were increased significantly with this treatment . This strongly indicated a movement of urea from the blood to the intestines . This assumption was also supported by significantly lower blood urea concentrations in animals given raw starch . The influence of raw starch on true protein digestibility was, however, significantly less when cellulose and barley hulls were included . This is probably due to reduced transit time from fibre inclusion . The nature of the gut contents also supported this hypothesis . 3 . The inclusion of raw potato starch when brown beans were the source of protein had much less effect on true protein digestibility and biological value than when casein was the protein source . This was probably due to the low digestibility of DM and protein in this food leaving sufficient energy and protein for maximum microbial growth . The inclusion of fibre also had little effect on N excretion patterns with the brown-bean diets . 4 . An increase in the level of brown bean inclusion reduced true protein digestibility only on the diets containing raw starch whereas the biological value was consistently reduced regardless of starch treatment . The lower biological values were associated with significantly higher blood urea concentrations . Increasing the level of brown bean inclusion also resulted in higher fresh weights of caecum, colon and contents . 5 . The present work proves that, through dietary manipulation, it is possible to affect nitrogen excretion patterns in rats.

Int J Cancer, 1981 Aug 15, 28(2), 175 - 8
Natural killing and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity in specific-pathogen-free miniature swine and germ-free piglets . II . Ontogenic development development of NK and ADCC; Huh ND et al.; The ontogenic development of natural killing (NK) and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) in germ-free and specific-pathogen-fee (SPF) miniature swine were compared . Activities of NK and ADCC were tested by a short-term (2.5 to 4 h) 51Cr-labelled human myeloid cell line K562 and TNP-conjugated human B-cell line SB as target cells for NK and ADCC, respectively . Animals obtained by aseptic hysterectomy 3-5 days prior to term showed ADCC activities similar to adult levels but lacked NK activity . Hysterectomy-derived piglets which were colostrum-deprived and maintained in germ-free isolators developed NK activity at 3-4 weeks of age . In comparison, naturally-farrowed, colostrum-fed piglets maintained in our SPF facility developed NK activity at 2-3 weeks of age . Thereafter, there was no significant difference in the levels of either NK or ADCC between germ-free and SPF animals . This suggests that microbial flora and environment do not affect the development of effector cells for ADCC but do play some role in the maturation of NK cells during ontogeny . The difference in ontogeny of NK an ADCC further support our previous suggestion that the effector cells for NK and ADCC in swine are distinct sub-populations.

Arch Androl, 1981 Aug, 7(1), 1 - 7
Immunological properties of seminal vesicle fluid; Veselsky L; Protective significance of some seminal plasma components is described . Lactoferrin is characterized as a primary defense factor against microbial invasion . The agglutinating factor in seminal vesicle fluid may prevent premature elimination of the spermatozoa by leukocytes infiltrating into the female genital tract . The protease inhibitors neutralize the activity of the proteases, thereby protecting the tissues and spermatozoa against proteolytic degradation . Antigens absorbed to spermatozoa during the ejaculation may protect the spermatozoa against the immune system of female reproductive tract . Ejaculated spermatozoa contain immunosuppressive substances that inhibit cell-mediated cytotoxicity as well as lymphocyte response to allogenic cells . These substances may constitute the system that prevents immune damage of spermatozoa.

Appl Environ Microbiol, 1981 Aug, 42(2), 222 - 5
Precision of the all-glass impinger and the andersen microbial impactor for air sampling in solid-waste handling facilities; Lembke LL et al.; A method was devised to determine the precision of the all-glass impinger and the Andersen six-stage microbial impactor over a wide range of aerosol concentrations like those found in facilities which process solid waste . Simultaneous samples were collected inside a municipal solid-waste recovery system, and the data were treated statistically to estimate the precision of each air-sampling device . All-glass impingers yielded colony counts which indicated a linear relationship between samplers over an observed aerosol concentration of 1.1 X 10(3) to 2.8 X 10(7) colony-forming units per m3 of air . Impactors also yielded colony counts which indicated a linear relationship over an observed aerosol concentration range of 3.9 X 10(3) to 1.9 X 10(5) colony-forming units per m3 of air . The coefficients of variation for the all-glass impinger and the six-stage impactor in an environment with a high and variable dust level were determined to be 0.38 and 0.23, respectively.

J Natl Cancer Inst, 1981 Aug, 67(2), 445 - 53
Genetics, regulation, and specificity of murine natural antitumor antibodies and natural killer cells; Chow DA et al.; A concurrent study of specificity, regulation, ontogeny, and genetics of murine natural killer (NK) cell and natural antibody (NAb) activities {in DBA/2, CBA/J, A/Sn, and A/J inbred mice, Bg/Bg + mice of the inbred C57BL/6J background, (C57BL/6 x DBA/2) F1 mice, and (CBA x DBA/2) F1, (A/Sn x DBA/2)F1, and (A/J x DBA/2)F1 mice} revealed that : a) The expressions of NAb and NK cell specificities associated with the YAC-1 tumor were directly related and could not be distinguished on the basis of inhibition and absorption studies, whereas the expressions of the specificities associated with a second NK cell-sensitive tumor, the SL2 lymphoma, were not directly related . b) Treatment of mice with the adjuvants proteose peptone and lipopolysaccharide or the interferon inducers polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid and 2-amino-5-bromo-6-methyl-4-pyrimidinol resulted in increases in NAb levels and NK cells, which suggested that certain aspects of the regulation of these activities may be similar or the same . c) High NK cell activity was codominantly inherited and high serum NAb levels were recessive, which argues against the theory that the NK cell receptor is a passively acquired NAb . d) NK cell activity declined with increasing age in contrast with NAb levels that remained constant throughout adult life . e) Bg/Bg mutants that exhibit an NK Cell defect expressed normal levels of NAb . Despite the differences in their genetics, murine antitumor NAb and NK cells bear certain common features-in particular, their response to microbial products and interferon inducers and at least a portion of antigen repertoire against which they are directed.

Am J Hosp Pharm, 1981 Aug, 38(8), 1148 - 50
Evaluation of a device for monitoring sterility of injectable fluids; Mayhall CG et al.; An evaluation of a sterility-testing device (Addi-Chek) that uses total-sample membrane filtration is presented . Parenteral nutrition solutions were deliberately contaminated at low levels with 16 bacterial and four fungal strains . Some contaminated solutions were stored at 20 degrees C or 4 degrees C for up to 24 hours before testing; the rest were tested immediately . Additionally, one liter of pharmacy-prepared infusion fluid was tested each day for 100 days . Broth (added to the Addi-Chek unit after filtration to permit microbial growth) was cultured when it became turbid or after a 10-day incubation . Fifty-nine deliberate-inoculation tests were done . The organism was recovered from 56 of these; the other three tests may have been negative because no organisms were present in the aliquot used for inoculation or because of experimental error . The number of organisms used for inoculation varied from 1 to 80; 86% of the tests used 25 organisms or less . Storage for up to 24 hours at 20 degrees C and 4 degrees C had no effect on the results of sterility testing . In testing 100 units of pharmacy-prepared fluid (not deliberately contaminated), one unit (1%) was found to be contaminated . Pharmacy personnel correctly identified positive and negative Addi-Chek units based on visual turbidity of the broth . It is concluded that Addi-Chek is easy to use and effective in detecting low-level contamination in intravenous fluids.

Rev Infect Dis, 1981 Jul-Aug, 3(4), 668 - 77
Methodologic issues in hospital epidemiology . II . Time and accuracy in estimation; Freeman J et al.; Nosocomial infections comprise a variety of diseases that have all of the characteristics and problems traditionally associated with the epidemiology of chronic disease . Each infection is multifactorial in origin, and most of these factors remain either unknown or unquantified . The microbial agent is not the sole determinant of outcome . Time is also an important variable, especially with regard to variation in incubation (latent) period for different infections, and variation in duration of hospitalization (exposure and follow-up) . Methods used for the study of chronic diseases may be employed in evaluating some aspects of nosocomial infection . When time is considered as a variable, it is possible to use a common, interconvertible set of definitions of rates that includes measures of both prevalence and incidence of infection . Accuracy in estimation also may be improved by further consideration of the choice of subjects (validity of selection), experimenter effects, misclassification (validity of information), and confounding (validity of comparison.

Sangyo Igaku, 1981 Jul, 23(4), 355 - 65
{Application of the microbial mutation test in occupational health and its future problems (author's transl)}; Takemura N; The microbial mutation test developed by Ames has been revealed that many chemical carcinogens, which had been considered non-mutagenic, are actually mutagens and that a number of mutagens, the carcinogenicity of which has not yet been investigated, are carcinogens . The method is useful, in the chemical industry, for screening chemicals for carcinogenic potential because of its rapidity and economic return . The mutagenic activity of hundreds of chemicals has been investigated by this Ames test and a close relationship between mutagenicity and carcinogenicity has been demonstrated . It is considered that the application of this screening test is useful for prevention of occupational cancer in the chemical industry . In this paper the results of this test for industrial chemicals and the future problems are reviewed.

Steroids, 1981 Jul, 38(1), 11 - 27
7 beta -hydroxycardenolide glycosides; Szeleczky Z et al.; The microbial transformation of digitoxin (I) by Streptomyces sp . yielded digoxin (III) as main product along with the by-products 7beta -hydroxydigitoxin (II) and 7beta -hydroxydigoxin (IV) . The present paper is concerned with the structure elucidation of 7beta-hydroxycardenolides as well as with the formation of some of their derivatives.

Isr J Med Sci, 1981 Jul, 17(7), 604 - 7
Mycoplasmal toxins; Tully JG; Mycoplasmal toxins cover a wide range of substances, including diffusible components of microbial metabolism that are toxic for host cells, endotoxin-like compounds in the mycoplasma membrane, or toxins with characteristics of some classical exotoxins . There is little definitive evidence that the diffusable metabolic products play a primary role in mycoplasma pathogenicity, although they may provoke profound secondary host responses to potentiate infection . Like-wise, although the lipoglycans isolated from acholeplasmas produce potent endotoxin-like responses, their role in pathogenicity is still uncertain . There seems to be little question that the toxin from Mycoplasma neurolyticum is intimately connected to the neurological consequences observed in natural or mixed infections with this organism . Whether this is a true exotoxin may now be open to some doubt . Further information on this neurotoxin may clarify the role of mycoplasmas in a number of infections where neurological complications occur.

Isr J Med Sci, 1981 Jul, 17(7), 548 - 54
Respiratory and genital mycoplasmosis of laboratory rodents: implications for biomedical research; Cassell GH et al.; Murine respiratory mycoplasmosis (formerly murine chronic respiratory disease) has been conclusively shown to be due to Mycoplasma pulmonis . Based upon experimental studies, it is clear that the disease is an insidious, protracted process involving a variety of interrelated factors . Intracage NH3 (25 to 250 ppm) greatly increases disease incidence, severity and progression . In mice, the presence of other infectious agents, like Sendai virus, also potentiates disease . However, comparisons of animals matched for age, sex, microbial, and environmental factors indicate that heredity is one of the most critical determinants of disease . M . pulmonis is generally thought to be transmitted via aerosol, but recent evidence indicates that in utero transmission is also possible . M . pulmonis can colonize and produce disease in all parts of the female genital tract . While the natural occurrence of both respiratory and genital mycoplasmoses seriously restricts the usefulness of rats and mice for other research purposes, the experimental diseases represent useful models for the study of human disease, particularly mechanisms involved in chronic pulmonary inflammation and reproductive failure.

Can J Microbiol, 1981 Jul, 27(7), 692 - 7
Effect of nitrate on reduction of ferric iron by a bacterium isolated from crude oil; Obuekwe CO et al.; A Pseudomonas sp . isolated from crude oil reduced ferric ions (Fe(III)) to ferrous ions (Fe(II)) . In the presence of nitrate (NO3-) after prolonged incubation, the amount of Fe(II) was lower than in its absence . However, during short incubation periods, the presence of NO3- significantly increased (99.5% confidence limit) the amount of Fe(II) produced . The decrease in Fe(II) on prolonged incubation was associated with increased production and accumulation of nitrite (NO2-) . Under low NO3- levels, where the production of NO2- was limited, a decrease in NO2- concentration was accompanied by an increase in Fe(II) production to levels comparable with those obtained in the absence of NO3- . Preinduction of cells for nitrate reductase, which favoured rapid NO2- production, resulted in a more rapid decrease in Fe(II) production than in cells that were not preinduced . It is proposed that the inhibitory effect of NO3- on microbial reduction of Fe(III) is due to a secondary reaction, which involves the chemical oxidation of Fe(II) by NO2-.

Isr J Med Sci, 1981 Jul, 17(7), 563 - 8
Mycoplasma detection-an obligation to scientific accuracy; Stanbridge EJ; Mycoplasma contamination of cell cultures is, unfortunately, a common occurrence . Because of their extremely small size the contamination is not readily apparent and the presence of mycoplasmas is confirmed by culture on agar . Certain mycoplasmas, most notably Mycoplasma hyorhinis, often do not form colonies on agar due to the presence of toxic components . Other noncultural methods have been devised to detect these "noncultivable" mycoplasmas . A brief overview of these methods will be presented and an attempt made to compare their relative efficiency in detecting microbial contamination in cell cultures.

Mutat Res, 1981 Jul, 89(3), 229 - 36
Genetic activity of actinomycin D in Saccharomyces cerevisiae but not in Escherichia coli; Nestmann ER et al.; The potential of actinomycin D for induction of forward mutation (ADE-), reversion (TRP+), gene conversion, and mitotic recombination, was examined using haploid and diploid strains of yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae . No increase in forward or reverse mutations or gene conversion was detected, but actinomycin D induced up to 13-fold increases in mitotic recombinants and a 2-fold increase in numbers of aberrant colonies, in a non-selective assay for genetic activity . Actinomycin D was non-mutagenic in a fluctuation test using Escherichia coli strain WP2 UvrA- . This furnishes an example of a mutagen which is negative in bacteria but has genetic activity in yeast, emphasizing the need for using a battery of microbial tests for determining the genetic activity of any given chemical.

Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol, 1981 Jul, 52(1), 44 - 50
Epidermoid carcinoma of the gingiva: a possible relationship to PUVA therapy; Krutchkoff DJ et al.; A case of squamous cell carcinoma arising in the gingiva of a 30-year-old nonsmoking woman receiving PUVA therapy for vitiligo is reported . There were no typical predisposing factors for oral cancer in the history, other than the latter therapy . Although there are several previous reports of cutaneous carcinoma developing in patients under PUVA therapy, most of such involve development of tumors on skin surfaces exposed to direct ultraviolet radiation either through sunlight or via therapeutic mode.s In this case, there was no direct ultraviolet exposure at the site of carcinoma . We suggest the possibility that, in this case, PUVA may exerted a carcinogenic influence via systemic distribution of ultraviolet-activated psoralens or its metabolites to the gingiva . The possibility of microbial interaction with substances within gingival inflammatory exudate to produce carcinogenic substances is postulated.

Br J Radiol, 1981 Jul, 54(643), 615 - 21
The effects of NMR exposure on living organisms . I . A microbial assay; Thomas A et al.; Various bacterial strains have been exposed to a homogeneous magnetic field of 1 Tesla and to the conditions found in an NMR imaging experiment of the type used in a recent abdominal scan (Mansfield et al., 1978) . No mutagenic or lethal effects were observed . The activity of the bacterial enzyme beta-galactosidase was also found to be independent of the applied magnetic field.

J Wildl Dis, 1981 Jul, 17(3), 453 - 61
Serologic survey for selected microbial agents in mammals from Alberta, 1976; Zarnke RL et al.; Blood samples were taken from humans and several species of free-ranging wild mammals from five different geographic areas of Alberta, Canada . Sera were tested for antibody to eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) virus, western equine encephalitis (WEE) virus, St . Louis encephalitis (SLE) virus, Powassan (POW) virus, the snowshoe hare (SSH) strain of the California group (CAL) of viruses, Northway (NOR) virus, Klamath (KLA) virus, infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR) virus, and two bacteria, Brucella abortus and Francisella tularensis . CAL antibody was found in 63% of 11 snowshoe hares (Lepus americanus), 33% of 167 black bears (Ursus americanus), and 19% of 55 humans (Homo sapiens) . NOR antibody was found in 0.4% of 258 hares, 11% of 9 bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis), 20% of 44 moose (Alces alces), 4% of 56 bears, 14% of 22 woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus), and 2% of 50 humans . IBR antibody was detected in 14% of 14 moose . B . abortus antibody was found in 1% of 283 bears . F . tularensis antibody was detected in 2% of 52 humans . These findings represent extension of: (1) the natural host range of IBR, CAL, and NOR; (2) the geographical distribution of NOR infection in North America; and (3) the geographical distribution of CAL infection within Alberta.

Biochim Biophys Acta, 1981 Jun 15, 659(2), 378 - 89
Proteolytic modification of rat liver fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase by administration of leupeptin in vivo; Kominami E et al.; When leupeptin, a thiol protease inhibitor of microbial origin, was injected into rats, the activity of fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase (D-fructose-1,6-bisphosphate D-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate-lyase, EC 4.1.2.13) in the liver decreased to about 60% of that in control rats . However, the concentration of aldolase protein in the liver extracts, measured with a specific antibody obtained with enzyme purified on a phosphocellulose column, remained unchanged . Injection of leupeptin also caused a marked increase in the activities of free lysosomal proteases, such as cathepsin B (EC 3.4.22.1), cathepsin L (EC 3.4.22.-), cathepsin D (EC 3.4.23.5) and lysosomal carboxypeptidase A in the cytosol fraction . A clear inverse relationship between aldolase and cathepsin B activities in the cytosol fraction was demonstrated . The possibility that the less active form of aldolase detected in the livers of leupeptin-treated rats was produced during homogenization was excluded by showing that the aldolase activity was not changed by addition of various protease inhibitors to the homogenization medium., When insulin was coinjected with leupeptin, increase in the activity of free cathepsin L and decrease of activity of aldolase produced by the injection of leupeptin was prevented . These findings indicate that modification of aldolase may be due to the action of a lysosomal protease(s) . Enhanced sensitivity of lysosomes to osmotic shock was demonstrated in the livers of leupeptin-treated rats, suggesting that the lysosomal membrane is labilized by administration of leupeptin . Incubation of the purified aldolase with the lysosomal fraction produced the same changes in properties of aldolase as those observed in vivo on injection of leupeptin.

Br J Ophthalmol, 1981 Jun, 65(6), 385 - 7
Bilateral herpetic keratitis; Wilhelmus KR et al.; Thirty patients with bilateral herpetic keratitis were evaluated, 40% of whom were atopic . Stromal keratitis occurred in 40% of the eyes and recurrent ulceration in 68% . Four patients (5 eyes) developed secondary microbial keratitis . Visual acuity decreased to 6/60 or less because of corneal opacification in 17% of the eyes.

J Clin Microbiol, 1981 Jun, 13(6), 1060 - 5
Bacterial fouling of a hospital closed-loop cooling system by Pseudomonas sp; du Moulin GC et al.; During the summer of 1979 the air-conditioning system at a hospital in Boston deteriorated, and this led to total failure of some chilling units . Patient care and operating-room areas were affected . Investigation of the problem ruled out mechanical and electrical causes, but revealed a strain of Pseudomonas sp . biofouling heat transfer tubes of the closed chilled water system . The pseudomonads apparently were stimulated to grow by low concentrations of ethylene glycol antifreeze . The proximate source of these organisms was an expansion tank located in a 33 degrees C environment . The organisms probably originated from the potable water supply of the hospital . Fouling was eventually cleaned by prolonged and expensive treatments of the closed chilled water system . Pseudomonas sp . is frequently isolated from hospital-acquired infections at our institution (Beth Israel Hospital, Boston, Mass.); however, our studies with fluorescent dye tracers indicated that organisms were prohibited from entering patient areas via contaminated water from the chillers . Microbiologists must become cognizant of seemingly unimportant microbial environments within hospitals that may indirectly contribute to hospital-acquired infections.

Can J Microbiol, 1981 Jun, 27(6), 633 - 5
The assay of adenosine 5'-triphosphate extracted from salt-marsh microbiota; Stevenson LH et al.; The light-emitting reaction of firefly luciferin and luciferase is a common ingredient in the quantification of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) extracted from the microbiota of environmental samples . Both portions of the light-emission phase of the luciferase reaction, the primary flash within 3 s of mixing and the secondary decay in the luminescence following the flash, have been used to quantify extracted ATP . However, the magnitude of the secondary phase is influenced by nucleotides other than ATP . The impact of this influence on the quantification of ATP was studied in samples collected from the water covering a salt marsh . Analysis by integration of the secondary decay portion of the emission yielded values of ATP per cubic metre that were consistently higher than those obtained by peak height analysis of the same extracts . Assays using the integration technology resulted in values that were up to 8 (mean = 3.6) times higher than corresponding values determined by peak height analysis in unfractionated samples (total microbial biomass) and up to 16 (mean = 4.8) times higher in water that had been prefiltered with a 1.0 micrometer filter (bacterial biomass).

J Bone Joint Surg Am, 1981 Jun, 63(5), 811 - 3
Efficacy of double-gloving as a barrier to microbial contamination during total joint arthroplasty; McCue SF et al.; After ten total hip replacements in which a double-glove technique was used, 275 outer and inner gloves were tested for microbial contamination and for holes . The operating rooms were equipped with specially designed air-filtration mechanisms . The results indicated that the gloves that most frequently were contaminated were the ones used exclusively for draping . This finding suggests that using a separate pair of outer gloves only for draping is a valuable technique during total hip replacement . Clinical Relevance: Although the practice of using double gloves during a total joint-replacement procedure is accepted widely, there is little evidence that double-gloving actually decreases microbial contamination . The results of this study indicate that changing outer gloves at appropriate times during the procedure is indeed an important way to minimize contamination.

Cancer Lett, 1981 Jun, 13(1), 29 - 37
A short-term in vitro assay for promoter substances using human lymphoblastoid cells latently infected with Epstein-Barr virus; Ito Y et al.; We designed a short-term in vitro assay for detecting tumor promoters, utilizing the activation of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) expression in EBV genome-carrying human lymphoblastoid cells . This system is composed of EBV-non-producer Raji cells as the indicator, n-butyrate as the EBV-inducer, and the test substance . After addition of the latter 2 components to the culture medium, the cells are cultivated for 48 h at 37 degrees C and the ratio of EBV early antigen (EA)-expressing cells was assessed using immunofluorescence . This assay system allows for a rapid detection of the activity of the tumor promoter 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA) and its related compounds and also of the Euphorbiaceae plant extracts containing such active principles . Among several microbial products tested, teleocidin, an indole-alkaloid produced by a Streptomyces species, was also detected and had an activity level comparable to that of TPA . Other promoters, such as anthralin, phenol, Tween 60 and 80 and the carcinogenic ("initiator") substances including benzopyrene, did not react with the system . The test is simple to perform, reproducible and should be applicable for mass-screening of promoter substances in the environment.

J Clin Microbiol, 1981 Jun, 13(6), 1011 - 6
Clinical manifestations of diarrhea in calves infected with rotavirus and enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli; Tzipori SR et al.; The susceptibility of gnotobiotic, colostrum-derived, or suckling calves to four bovine rotavirus isolates was found to be age dependent . Calves older than 7 days remained clinically normal, although they excreted virus in their feces and subsequently developed antibody against the virus, Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli, fed to gnotobiotic, colostrum-deprived, or suckling calves ranging in age from a few hours to 26 days old, only caused diarrhea in animals younger than 24 h old . In contrast, diarrhea was consistently induced in 1- and 2-week-old calves infected with both enterotoxigenic E . coli and rotavirus . In general, diarrhea appeared after a rotavirus incubation period of approximately 3 days and was independent of the order in which the two microbial agents were given, the age of the calf, or the level of circulating rotavirus antibodies . The disease episode coincided with the excretion of rotavirus, rather than enterotoxigenic E . coli, in the feces . Infection with enterotoxigenic E . coli became established within 24 h of inoculation, and in older calves enterotoxigenic E . coli was often excreted in very small numbers and for a longer period than rotavirus.

J Dent Res, 1981 Jun, 60(6), 1008 - 14
The relation of keratinization to bacterial colonization on the baboon tongue as demonstrated by scanning electron microscopy; Aufdemorte TB et al.; Scanning electron microscopic observations of the baboon tongue demonstrating specificity of microbial distribution as related to epithelial keratinization are presented . The number of bacteria inhabiting a surface was related to the degree of keratinization . Orthokeratotic dorsal tongue surfaces were most heavily colonized by bacteria . The parakeratotic and non-keratinized surfaces were less heavily populated, with non-keratinized areas showing the fewest numbers of bacteria.

Med Hypotheses, 1981 Jun, 7(6), 719 - 27
A possible role for calcium in cyclic nucleotide mediated fluid secretion; Knoop F et al.; This article suggests that calcium acts as an intermediate for intestinal fluid secretion mediated by adenosine-3':5'-cyclic monophosphoric acid (cAMP) and guanosine -3':5-'cyclic monophosphoric acid (cGMP) . It is hypothesized that microbial enterotoxins disrupt the normal interrelationships between calcium and cyclic nucleotides, thereby leading to adverse biological effects . It is further proposed that the inhibitory effect of chlorpromazine on calmodulin accounts for the ability of this drug to inhibit enterotoxins which separately elevate cAMP or cGMP concentrations.

Med J Aust, 1981 May 30, 1(11), 590 - 2
Hospital microbial environment: need for continual surveillance; Levey JM et al.; In an epidemic of nosocomial infection, Pseudomonas cepacia emerged as a significant pathogen capable of causing severe infection . The epidemic was controlled by tracing and controlling the source of the infection, which proved to be "sterile" water and "in-use" dilution antiseptic . Problems of sterile water were controlled by regular maintenance of equipment and surveillance . Antiseptic problems were overcome by changing the type of antiseptic, and paying attention to correct concentration of "in-use" dilution . A four-year follow-up of the water supply shows no further problems . Further infectious episodes caused by P . cepacia have not been encountered.

Biochem J, 1981 May 15, 196(2), 499 - 504
On the insensitivity of sheep to the almost complete microbial destruction of dietary choline before alimentary-tract absorption; Dawson RM et al.; 1 . Injection of {Me-14C}choline into sheep indicated that the small amount of phosphatidylcholine present in abomasal digesta was largely (69%) of non-dietary or ruminal origin . 2 . Long-term feeding of {Me-3H}choline to sheep produced insignificant labelling of plasma phosphatidylcholine, indicating that more than 99% of the choline body pool was of non-dietary origin . 3 . In contrast, when rats were fed with {Me-3H}choline for similar periods, 18-54% of the tissue phosphatidylcholine was derived from dietary choline . 4 . The loss of {14C}choline and 32P from the plasma phosphatidylcholine after a single injection of these isotopes indicated a markedly slower turnover of choline in the sheep compared with the rat . This observation, coupled with a lack of liver glycerophosphocholine diesterase, provides an explanation for the insensitivity of the sheep to an almost complete microbial destruction of dietary choline before alimentary-tract absorption.

Int J Cancer, 1981 May 15, 27(5), 611 - 5
Studies on the role of cellular immunity and genetics in the etiology of rapidly progressing breast cancer in Tunisia; Levine PH et al.; It has been suggested that poussee evolutive (PEV) or rapidly progressing breast cancer (RPBC) represents a failure in the host immune system to control the proliferation of breast cancer cells . To evaluate this possibility, we have performed in vivo and in vitro assays of cellular immunity in Tunisian patients with breast cancer . Studies of delayed hypersensitivity using microbial antigens and in vitro including lymphocyte transformation tests and measurements of B and T cells indicated that RPBC patients had an immune response comparable to that of breast cancer patients without evidence of rapid progression . Normal Tunisians were more immunocompetent, however, an appeared to have a higher level of immune activity than normal individuals in the United States . In a second, independent series, an increased frequency of blood group A was found in RPBC patients, suggesting a genetic predisposition to this form of breast cancer . However HLA typing for A, B and DRW antigens revealed no specific RPBC-associated HLA antigen . Our studies clearly demonstrate that RPBC, or PEV, is not a reflection of immunodeficiency.

J Bacteriol, 1981 May, 146(2), 460 - 6
Metabolism of resorcinylic compounds by bacteria: new pathway for resorcinol catabolism in Azotobacter vinelandii; Groseclose EE et al.; We present evidence to document a third pathway for the microbial catabolism of resorcinol . Resorcinol is converted to pyrogallol by resorcinol-grown cells of Azotobacter vinelandii . Pyrogallol is the substrate for one of two ring cleavage enzymes induced by growth with resorcinol . Oxalocrotonate, CO2, pyruvate, and acetaldehyde have been identified as products of pyrogallol oxidation catalyzed by extracts of resorcinol-grown cells . The enzymes pyrogallol 1,2-dioxygenase, oxalocrotonate tautomerase (isomerase), oxalocrotonate decarboxylase, and vinylpyruvate hydratase are present in extracts from resorcinol-grown cells but not in succinate-grown cells.

Biochem J, 1981 Apr 15, 196(1), 41 - 8
Effects of microbial proteinase inhibitors on the degradation of endogenous and internalized proteins by rat yolk sacs; Knowles SE et al.; 1 . The effects of leupeptin and other microbial proteinase inhibitors were measured in rat yolk sacs on the uptake and degradation of formaldehyde-denatured 125I-labelled bovine serum albumin as well as on the degradation of 3H-labelled endogenous protein . 2 . Leupeptin, at concentrations between 1 and 100 micrograms/ml, inhibits the degradation of added albumin without affecting pinocytic uptake . Accordingly large amounts of undegraded albumin accumulate within the tissue . 3 . Removal of leupeptin produces a rapid recovery of the capacity to degrade albumin . 4 . Endogenous protein degradation is rapidly inhibited by leupeptin, but to a far lesser extent than the breakdown of albumin . However, the inhibition is only slightly reversed on removal of leupeptin . 5 . Degradation of both albumin and endogenous protein in intact yolk sacs is inhibited by the microbial proteinase inhibitors in the order: leupeptin greater than antipain greater than chymostatin; elastatinal, pepstatin and bestatin are ineffective . 6 . Similar results are found when albumin is incubated in yolk-sac homogenates at pH 4 with the inhibitors . 7 . The marked inhibitory effects of leupeptin, antipain and chymostatin suggest that cathepsin B and possibly cathepsin L participate in the degradation of 125I-labelled albumin in yolk sacs . By comparison, the smaller inhibitory effects of the proteinase inhibitors on endogenous protein breakdown imply a minor role of lysosomal cathepsins in this process.

Biokhimiia, 1981 Apr, 46(4), 652 - 6
{Hydrolysis of N-acetyl-L- and N-acetyl-D,L-methionine by microbial aminacylase}; Iamskov IA et al.; The kinetics of N-acetyl-L- and N-acetyl-D,L-methionine hydrolysis by aminoacylase from Asp . oryzae were studied . The maximal rate of the reaction was found to be about 2000 mu moles of L-methionine per mg of protein per hour; Km was equal to about 1.10(-1) M for both the racemic and optically active substrates . In the presence of Co(II) ions (the molar ratio of N-acetyl-L-methionine/Co(II) was 100:1) the reaction velocity was increased . The values of approximately 4500 and approximately 3000 mu moles per mg per hour were-attained with L-enantiomer and racemic substrates, respectively . The Km values were decreased down to 2.10(-2) M and 1.4.10(-2) M, respectively.

Z Arztl Fortbild (Jena), 1981 Apr 1, 75(7), 305 - 8
{Recommendations for abortion technics}; Ehrig E et al.; PIP: From a retrospective study on induced abortions carried out in East Germany the effects of abortion on subsequent fertility are summarized as follows: 1) the 1st pregnancy following abortion often ends in miscarriage or premature birth; 2) the technic of abortion determines the outcome of subsequent pregnancy; careful dilatation and the most physiologic method are recommended to prevent miscarriage and/or cervix insufficiency; 3) there is a 10.17% risk of prematurity following abortion as against a 5.49% overall risk; and 4) about 70% of pregnancies following abortion result in labor starting in 37th-39th week . Most abortion complications occur in the initial 3 days . Especially hazardous are forced dilatation of the cervix and wide dilatation of the cervix in primigravidas and multigravidas with scar tissue formation . Curettage with the abortion forceps is more hazardous than suction curettage, 50% less risk in the latter method . A 2nd abortion with long induction time and high microbial ascending contamination has a 11.4% complication rate . Hysterotomy in advanced pregnancy has more complications . Recommendations for risk reduction are: 1) use of a flexible or rigid suction catheter (Karman size 8) up to the 8th week of pregnancy; follow-up with curettage for placenta residuals; 2) with normal dilatation risk use Hegar dilatation with vacuum extraction and control curettage; lumen width to be determined by pregnancy week and not to exceed Hegar 12 (12 mm); 3) with increased dilatation risk in the 1st trimester priming with prostaglandin; laminaria are also useful; and 4) with a 2nd pregnancy reserved for 2nd trimester; induction with prostaglandins . Broad-spectrum antibiotics should be used to minimize risk of infection . The author has constructed a model in the form of a disk useful in assessing abortion risks . It is based on extensive statistics and gives particulars about use of abortion results, diagnosis and indications for methods to be used .

Int Surg, 1981 Apr-Jun, 66(2), 103 - 17
Ischemic diseases of the large intestine; Saegesser F et al.; The blood flow within the walls of the digestive tract must be sufficient to maintain its structural and functional integrity . All episodes of vascular insufficiency cause ischemic damage to the organ and carry the threat of diffuse or focal necrosis . Certain forms of ischemic colitis or proctitis arise from episodes of reduced peripheric or splanchnic blood flow; indeed, those which do not culminate in necrosis of the colonic wall are more frequently caused by hemodynamic disorders than by vascular occlusions . The crisis is often mitigated by the development of collateral circulation; this is, however, of rather poor quality so patients become very vulnerable to subsequent slight changes in cardiac output . Necrotic, gangrenous ischemic colitis arises from a combination of occlusive damage to the arteries and general hemodynamic disturbances . The vascular insufficiency may be slight or severe, temporary or long-lasting, localized or diffuse . In addition, the attack occurs in a septic medium in the presence of abundant microbial flora which may be highly pathologic . Thus infection complicates and aggravates the ischemic damage, resulting in the gangrenous aspect of the lesion tending to hide its ischemic origin . Indeed, the variability of the manifestations of the disease in one of its primary characteristics, and is a function of the different causative factors . A knowledge of the anatomy and pathophysiology of the splanchnic circulation and its hemodynamics is essential for a full appreciation of the diagnosis and treatment of the disorders, and for the adoption of the aggressive approach necessary to improve the poor prognosis of ischemic diseases of the colon and rectum . All treatment should be based on 1) constant, prolonged intensive care; 2) precise monitoring of any change in status; 3) rapid excision of any necrotic (often gangrenous) tissue . Ischemic colitis is most likely to occur in elderly patients with a history of cardiovascular disease, but can also affect younger individuals . It is a frequent, potentially lethal, entity . Although it can be classified as a separate disease on the basis of its clinical, radiological and anatomical characteristics, it is often confused with other disorders of the colon . Although the abdominal surgeon is most likely to be concerned with this disease, the vascular surgeon incising the lower aorta should always be on the look-out for segmentary ischemia of the distal colon which may occur following operation.

Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol, 1981 Apr, (4), 78 - 82
{Antigenic structure of Pseudomonas pseudomallei}; Piven' NN et al.; The antigenic scheme has been proposed on the basis of the immunoelectrophoretic study of aqueous-saline extracts from acetone-dried microbial cells belonging to 29P . pseudomallei strains . The proposed scheme consists of 19 precipitinogens; of these, 13 have been shown to be common to all strains under study, the remaining precipitinogens being variable . All antigens are characterized by their charge and the degree of mobility in the electric field, their molecular weight, thermal resistance and chemical nature . In future this scheme is likely to be used for reference in the study and isolation of different antigenic structures of the infective agent of melioidosis.

Ann Neurol, 1981 Apr, 9(4), 366 - 70
Asterixis and encephalopathy following metrizamide myelography: investigations into possible mechanisms and review of the literature; Bertoni JM et al.; Marked asterixis occurred in two patients following metrizamide myelography . One also suffered generalized seizures and the other had severe stuttering speech for seven days . The spectrum of toxic manifestations of metrizamide is reviewed with emphasis on the unusual lethargy and other depressive effects seen with this relatively safe agent . The hypothesis that metrizamide exerts a ouabain-like effect on the cortical surface was tested . Metrizamide in concentrations as high as 20 mM had no inhibitory effect on rat cerebral K+-para-nitrophenylphosphatase, a partial reaction of (Na+K+)-adenosine triphosphatase . Because metrizamide is a 2-deoxyglucose analogue, a competitive inhibition of hexokinase at the first step in glycolysis was also postulated . Metrizamide was found to competitively inhibit commercial (microbial) hexokinase . The Michaelis constant for glucose rises from 0.13 to 0.25 to 0.33 to 0.91 mM in the presence of 0, 0.4, 1.0, and 2.0 mM metrizamide, respectively . Since the concentration of metrizamide over the cerebral cortex after routine myelography may be approximately 50 mM compared with a glucose concentration of only 3.6 mM (65 mg/dl), it is postulated that impaired brain glucose metabolism may be responsible for some of the toxic effects of metrizamide.

Arch Surg, 1981 Apr, 116(4), 466 - 9
Systemic prophylactic antibiotics: need the 'cost' be so high?
Fry DE, Harbrecht PJ, Polk HC Jr.
To assess compliance with accepted principles, the use of prophylaxis with systemic antibiotics in selected specialty procedures was examined . The operations reviewed were aortofemoral bypass, pulmonary resections, open-hip procedures, and head-neck cancer procedures that involve the oropharyngeal cavity . Of all patients, 74% received antibiotics preoperatively and 79% received prophylaxis with antibiotics longer than 24 hours postoperatively . Evaluated against the criteria of preoperative initiation and limited postoperative administration (less than 24 hours) only 10% of the patients received appropriate prophylaxis . A 3% incidence of drug-associated complications was identified; each patient with complications had received antibiotics for a prolonged time postoperatively . Reduction in the length of postoperative prophylaxis with systemic antibiotics will reduce (1) the number of drug-associated complications, (2) selection pressures on the hospital microbial population, and (3) needless expense in hospitalized patients.

Am J Med, 1981 Apr, 70(4), 833 - 43
Absence of indicators of the influence of its physicians on a society's health; impact of physician care on society; McDermott W; There are no established indicators for measuring the influence of its private physicians on a society's health . For a brief period the age-adjusted death rate, an important indicator of the public health effort, also served to reflect a portion of the influence of the personal physician system . Particular medical interventions could be linked to specific sites in the pathogenesis of microbial disease in a way not yet permitted by the available knowledge of the common nonmicrobial diseases . Our national allocations for health cannot be made rationally until we develop indicators for measuring incremental investments in either system, but especially for the personal physician system . For death rates per se fail to accurately reflect the workings of this system which is concerned primarily with prolonging effective life by preserving or restoring function in an individual person.

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 1981 Apr, 78(4), 2378 - 82
Ultraviolet light action spectra for neoplastic transformation and lethality of Syrian hamster embryo cells correlate with spectrum for pyrimidine dimer formation in cellular DNA; Doniger J et al.; Action spectra were determined for neoplastic transformation, production of pyrimidine dimers, and lethality in Syrian hamster embryo cells . Of wavelengths between 240 and 313 nm, the most effective were 265 and 270 . The relative sensitivities per quantum for transformation, pyrimidine dimer production, and lethality were essentially the same at each of the wavelengths tested . This action spectrum for transformation, which is relevant to carcinogenesis, is similar to spectra obtained previously by measuring other cellular responses in either microbial or mammalian systems . Because the action spectra for cytotoxicity and transformation are the same as the spectrum for dimer production, DNA is suggested as the target for all these processes.

Nord Vet Med, 1981 Apr-May, 33(4-5), 194 - 8
Studies on in-use microbial contamination of sterile medicines at an animal hospital; Aslund B et al.; Eye drops, injection solutions and infusion fluids in-use were collected from the various wards of an animal hospital and tested for sterility . Medicines from the stationary wards showed a contamination frequency of 17.5%, whereas 62% of those from the ambulatory ward were contaminated . The veterinarians who, as regards the handling of medicines, often have to work under extraordinary conditions must be observant of the risks of handling and keeping sterile medicines in an inconvenient way . This is especially important in ambulatory practice.

Acta Pathol Microbiol Scand {C}, 1981 Apr, 89(2), 79 - 84
A "reverse" solid-phase radio-immuno-assay for IgM-antibodies to hepatitis A virus; Meurman OH et al.; A "reverse"solid-phase radio-immuno-assay for IgM antibodies to hepatitis A virus (HAV) was developed . Anti-human IgM immunoglobulins were bound on the wells of polyvinylchloride microtiter plates . Serum specimens were incubated in the anti-human IgM coated wells and bound IgM antibodies were then assayed for antigen specificity by subsequent incubations with HAV antigen and 125I-labelled human anti-HAV IgG . The test showed a high sensitivity and specificity for anti-HAV IgM antibodies . No false-positive reactions were observed either in the sera from patients with hepatobiliary disorders other than HAV infection or in the sera containing both rheumatoid factor and anti-HAV IgG antibodies . In acute HAV infections specific IgM antibodies were present already in the first specimens taken within a few days after the onset of jaundice . The persistence of the IgM antibodies was from 4 to 6 months . IgM antibody titers up to 1,000,000 were observed in the acute phase of HAV infection . In routine diagnostic work the titration of the sea was not necessary, since a reliable qualitative result was obtained by testing the sera in a single dilution of 1:100 . A similar "reverse" immuno-assay principle may be adaptable for the diagnostic determination of IgM antibodies to different viral and microbial antigens.

Infect Immun, 1981 Apr, 32(1), 38 - 41
Effects of surgery on neutrophil granulocyte function; El-Maallem H et al.; The high incidence of postoperative infections raises the possibility of a reduced defense to infection during this period . For this reason, neutrophil function and enzyme activity were investigated after surgical trauma . The microbicidal ability of neutrophils was markedly impaired within 2 h of elective abdominal hysterectomy, but phagocytosis was unaffected . Loss of microbicidal activity was associated with loss of the lysosomal enzyme myeloperoxidase . It is suggested that these changes are due to activation and partial degranulation of circulating neutrophils . Defective microbial killing by individual cells should be compensated by an accompanying rise in the number of circulating neutrophils.

Mol Cell Biochem, 1981 Mar 13, 35(2), 65 - 75
Pyruvate kinase: activation by and catalytic role of the monovalent and divalent cations; Nowak T et al.; This mini review is primarily concerned with the monovalent and divalent cation activation of pyruvate kinase . All preparations of pyruvate kinase from vertebrate tissue which have been examined require monovalent cations such as K+ for catalysis . However, several microbial preparations are not activated by monovalent cations . In fact, E . coli synthesize, depending on growth conditions, 2 different forms of the enzyme; one form is not activated while the other is activated by monovalent cations . The monovalent cation was shown by NMR techniques to bind within 4-8 A of the divalent cation activator and apparently plays a direct role in the catalytic process . As with all kinases, pyruvate kinase requires a divalent cation for catalysis . Mg+2 is optimal for the physiological reaction, however, Co+2, Mn+2, and Ni+2 also activate . The divalent cation activation of several non-physiological reactions catalyzed by pyruvate kinase are reviewed . Several lines of evidence suggest that 2 moles of the divalent cation are required in the catalytic event . However, the specific role of both atoms in the catalytic event have not been thoroughly elucidated.

Biochim Biophys Acta, 1981 Mar 13, 658(1), 27 - 34
Studies on proteinases from the digestive organs of sardine . II . Purification and characterization of two acid proteinases from the stomach; Noda M et al.; Two fish acid proteinases designated acid proteinase I and II were found and isolated by (NH4)2SO4 fractionation, CM-cellulose chromatography and gel filtration on Sephadex G-100 . The final preparations were judged nearly homogeneous by multiple criteria . The molecular criteria . The molecular weights of the enzymes I and II were determined by the sedimentation equilibrium method to be 37 000 and 33 400, respectively . The sedimentation coefficients (S0 20, w) were 3.06 and 3.09, respectively . Enzymes I and II contained similar amino acid composition except for the contents of histidine, arginine, threonine, serine and proline . Enzymes I and II differed from each other in optimal pH and stability at pH 7 . Each enzyme could scarcely hydrolyze a synthetic pepsin substrate, N-acetyl-L-phenylalanyl-3,5-diiodo-L-tyrosine (APDT) . Both of the enzymes were inhibited by acid proteinase specific reagents: pepstatin, diazoacetyl-DL-norleucine methyl ester (DAN), 1,2-epoxy-3-(p-nitrophenoxy) propane (EPNP) and p-bromophenacyl bromide . These results indicate fish enzymes are similar to mammalian pepsin and microbial acid proteinases in their active site structure having two different carboxyl groups, although they differ in regard to a number of molecular and enzymatic properties.

Allergol Immunopathol (Madr), 1981 Mar-Apr, 9(2), 109 - 12
Impaired cell-mediated immunity in patients with kala-azar; Hepner Levy L et al.; Delayed hypersensitivity by intracutaneous tests with leishmanin, tuberculin, trichophytin, oidiomycin, as well as sensitization with DNCB were assessed in ten patients with kala-azar . There was a significant depression of delayed hypersensitivity to leishmanin (Montenegro reaction) during the active phase of the disease . The response to ubiquitous microbial antigens and DNCB were also depressed as compared to controls.

J Gen Microbiol, 1981 Mar, 123(Pt 1), 103 - 15
Simulation of the rat intestinal ecosystem using a two-stage continuous culture system; Veilleux BG et al.; To investigate the ecological mechanisms governing the community structure of the gut microbial ecosystem, we have attempted to simulate the rat gut ecosystem in vitro using a two-stage continuous culture . Extensive sampling of the rat hindgut has established a set of criteria with which the in vitro system may be compared . This paper discusses one of the criteria, the community composition and structure in vivo and in vitro . The experiments indicated that a gut microbial ecosystem could be satisfactorily mimicked in vitro . This was achieved using a two-stage continuous culture employing differential selection of species between the two stages on the basis of pH differences combined with cell recycling between stages.

Am J Med, 1981 Mar, 70(3), 631 - 7
The value of protective isolation in preventing nosocomial infections in high risk patients; Pizzo PA; Since infection is a major cause of death in the patient whose immune responses have been compromised (immunocompromised patient), considerable attention has been focused on developing methods for the prevention of infection . This has primarily been directed at suppressing or eliminating the host's endogenous microbial burden and in decreasing the acquisition of new organisms . The prevention techniques which have been employed vary in complexity from single-room isolation to elaborate systems utilizing air-filtration and decontamination . The most sophisticated of these regimens is the total protected environment (TPE) consisting of a high-efficiency-particulate-air (HEPA)-filtered laminar air flow room which is surface disinfected and in which the patient is fully decontaminated with oral nonabsorbable antibiotics, cutaneous antisepsis, orificial antibiotics and a semisterile diet . The cumulative data to data have shown that the TPE affords a significant (albeit incomplete) reduction in the incidence of serious infections in severely compromised patients . Such protection from infection permits the delivery of novel therapies which might have been precluded because of consequent hematologic or immunologic toxicity . Nonetheless, the TPE is also elaborate, cumbersome and expensive, and its utilization for patients with immunodeficiency syndromes, bone marrow failure states and cancer depends heavily on the success of available therapy (e.g., immunoreconstitution, transplantation, intensive chemotherapy) for the patient's underlying disorder . Critical evaluation of the TPE and alternative prevention strategies are imperative to assure the effective and appropriate utilization of limited hospital resources.

J Infect, 1981 Mar, 3(1 Suppl), 5 - 19
Pathophysiological correlates in bacterial meningitis; Scheld WM; This review summarises briefly several areas of importance in the pathogenesis of bacterial meningitis . These subjects include: (1) factors that predispose to the development of disease and relevant host defense mechanisms; (2) microbial virulence factors; (3) the route(s) of entry for bacteria into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF); (4) the role of pathological changes in the central nervous system; (5) particulate clearance mechanisms operative in the CSF system; and (6) the physiological alteration in normal intracranial homeostatic processes.

Acta Physiol Scand, 1981 Mar, 111(3), 269 - 80
Theophylline interferes with the modulatory role of endogenous adenosine on cholinergic neurotransmission in guinea pig ileum; Gustafsson L et al.; The ability of theophylline and other phosphodiesterase inhibitors to alter contractile responses to cholinergic nerve stimulation was investigated in isolated longitudinal muscle of the guinea pig ileum . Theophylline in low concentrations (10-100 microM), having no or little effect on measured phosphodiesterase activity, antagonized inhibitory effects of exogenous adenosine . In higher concentrations (0.1-10 mM), shown to be effective in inhibiting phosphodiesterase, theophylline as well as a "pure" cAMP phosphodiesterase inhibitor, ZK 62, 711, inhibited contractile responses . Dipyridamole and dilazep, inhibitors of adenosine inactivation, and also selective inhibitors of cAMP and cGMP phosphodiesterase, respectively, were found to enhance effects of exogenous adenosine and to cause a marked leftward shift to adenosine threshold dose . When dipyridamole and dilazep by themselves had inhibitory effects these could be antagonized by theophylline, suggesting an action through increased levels of endogenous adenosine . As a further indication of endogenous adenosine modulating neurotransmission low concentrations of theophylline enhanced responses to transmural stimulation . Endogenous purine concentrations in tissues and bath media were measured by HPLC . Because of tissue and microbial adenosine inactivation direct estimates of extracellular adenosine concentration could not be obtained . However, adenosine levels increased during transmural stimulation, and during inhibition of adenosine inactivation were sufficient, even in the bath medium, to interfere with the cholinergic neurotransmission.

Int J Pept Protein Res, 1981 Mar, 17(3), 338 - 44
Hydrolysis of soybean trypsin inhibitor by the gamma subunit of 7SNGF and EGF-BP; Green DA et al.; Although soybean trypsin inhibitor (STI) does not inhibit the esterase activity of either epidermal growth factor binding protein (EGF BP) or the gamma subunit of 7SNGF, it does behave as a substrate for proteolysis . Cleavage of the active site peptide bond of STI does occur when incubated in the presence of either EGF-BP or the gamma subunit of 7SNGF . The hydrolysis id pH dependent with maximum proteolysis at pH 6.0-7.0 . the newly formed C-terminal arginine residue in modified STI can be released by carboxypeptidase B digestion . Both enzymes are inhibited by low concentrations (2-4 microgram/ml) of the microbial protease inhibitors leupeptin and antipain . These inhibitors are specific for trypsin-like proteases . Since both enzymes can be found as part of high molecular weight complexes with growth factors these results confirm the hypothesis that they are involved during a postranslational modification event.

J Hosp Infect, 1981 Mar, 2(1), 37 - 43
Prophylaxis against microbial colonization of venous catheters; Brismar B et al.; A total of 85 central venous catheterizations in 73 patients were subjected to a prospective study on prophylaxis against infectious complications . Bacterial growth was found in blood cultures in five cases (6 per cent) and in cultures from catheter tips in 23 cases (27 per cent) . The most important route of infections was shown to be the catheter connection . Flaming of the connection when changing the giving set did not reduce the risk of catheter tip colonization . Catheter-related thrombosis was found in 33 of 73 phlebographs (45 per cent) . There was a significant relationship (p less than 0.05) between thrombotic findings and positive catheter tip cultures . Reduction of the risk of thrombosis by anticoagulant therapy would therefore seem indicated as prophylaxis against bacterial complications.

J Environ Health, 1981 Mar-Apr, 43(5), 244 - 50
Wash water temperature and sanitation in the hospital laundry; Battles DR et al.; In view of energy shortages and high costs for heating water in hospitals for laundering, the advantages and disadvantages of using lower temperature water are explored . Including are discussions of cleaning power of water, detergents and bleaches, and microbial removal using a temperature range of 38 to 74 degrees C.

Arch Surg, 1981 Feb, 116(2), 240 - 4
Aseptic barriers in surgery: their present status; Beck WC; Aseptic barriers are employed in the form of surgical gowns, drapes, and wrappers for sterile goods . They possess many of the attributes of textiles, but must also protect sterile zones from microbial invasion . Surgeons rely on them to resist penetration by liquids and other bacterial vehicles . A large variety of both woven and nonwoven materials are being produced for this purpose . The user is faced with difficult choices . The provider of the barrier materials must assure the surgeon of their barrier quality under the usual conditions of their use in operating rooms . Identical standards of quality can be and should be applicable whether these materials are created to be used once and discarded or are reusable.

Pediatrics, 1981 Feb, 67(2), 188 - 95
Recrudescence and relapse in bacterial meningitis of childhood; Schaad UB et al.; Antibiotic therapy of bacterial meningitis in children may be complicated by reappearance of bacteria in cerebrospinal fluid during therapy (recrudescence) or within three weeks after therapy is stopped (relapse) . Clinical and laboratory features of six children with recrudescence and of 21 children with relapse were reviewed . These complications occurred mainly in infants less than 2 years of age and comprised less than 1% of all cases of bacterial meningitis . Neither the initial nor the follow-up CSF findings were predictive of recrudescence or relapse . Prolonged or secondary fever was unrelated to these complications . Recrudescence was usually caused by inappropriate therapy whereas relapse after adequate therapy of bacterial meningitis was usually ascribed to persistence of infection in meningeal or parameningeal foci . Relapse did not become manifest until three or more days after discontinuation of therapy . It is concluded that routine examination of CSF at the end of adequate anti-microbial therapy is not necessary or useful when the patient has exhibited a satisfactory clinical response . Furthermore, the commonly recommended observation period of 48 hours in the hospital after discontinuation of therapy is not justified for a patient who has had an uneventful course.

Lipids, 1981 Feb, 16(2), 125 - 32
Sterol ester hydrolase in Fusarium oxysporum; Madhosingh C et al.; Two electrophoretically different forms of sterol ester hydrolase (EC 3.1.1.13) were obtained from the cytoplasmic extract of the mycelia of Fusarium oxysporum . The entities, estimated at 60,000 (I) and 15,000 (II) molecular weights, were obtained in Sephadex G100 column chromatography of the ammonium sulfate precipitate from the cytoplasmic extract . A third form III, 75,000 MW, was obtained from the culture filtrate . The activity of the enzyme was increased by Triton X-100 and was not inhibited by p-chloromercuribenzoate (PCMB), a sulfhydryl reagent . The enzymes I and II were inhibited differentially by NaCl . The optimal activities of forms I, II and III occurred at pH 4.8, pH 8.0 and pH 7.0, respectively . The apparent Km values of 7.7 X 10(-5), 8.3 X 10(-5) and 10.5 X 10(-5), respectively, indicate a similar order of affinity for cholesteryl oleate at pH 7.1 . The rate of hydrolysis of cholesteryl esters were in the order: linoleate greater than oleate greater than valerate greater than butyrate greater than acetate . Cholesteryl benzoate and palmitate were not hydrolyzed . The properties of the microbial enzyme are discussed in relation.

Int J Androl, 1981 Feb, 4(1), 25 - 38
Inhibitors of acrosomal proteinase as antifertility agents . A problem of acrosomal membrane permeability; Schill WB et al.; In vitro studies were performed to investigate the accessibility of acrosin to various proteinase inhibitors inside the intact acrosome of testicular, ejaculated, and uterine human spermatozoa . As test system the gelatin plate assay was used . For this assay it was shown formerly that a correlation exists between the size of the digested lysis areas (halo formation) and acrosin activity estimated with synthetic substrates . In addition, saturation of the gelatin substrate membranes with acrosin inhibitors including highly specific ones before application of spermatozoa completely prevented halo formation indicating that the gelatinolytic activity of human spermatozoa is caused exclusively by acrosin . When human spermatozoa were incubated with various acrosin inhibitors (concentration: 1 mmol/l) prior to application to the gelatin membrane, reduction of halo formation could not be observed, however . This result indicates that most of the tested acrosin inhibitors (9 naturally occurring protein inhibitors, 2 microbial peptide inhibitors, 19 synthetic inhibitors) were unable to penetrate the acrosomal membranes of testicular, ejaculated, and uterine human spermatozoa . Only 2 inhibitors caused moderate up to complete inhibition of the gelatinolytic activity of the spermatozoa if applied in concentrations between 1 and 10 mmol/l: the proteinase inhibitor aprotinin and the synthetic inhibitor NPGB (4-nitrophenyl 4-guanidinobenzoate) . Obviously, human acrosomal membranes seem to be especially impenetrable to proteins, polypeptides, and synthetic agents . Those acrosin inhibitors penetrating the human sperm head membranes are either too toxic or the local concentration necessary for effective acrosin inhibition in vivo cannot be achieved within the male or female genital tract secretions . Therefore, acrosin inhibitors cannot be used for human contraception at present . Thus it is mandatory to continue the search for suitable acrosin inhibitors with low toxicity easily penetrating into the intact sperm acrosome.

Boll Soc Ital Biol Sper, 1981 Jan 15, 57(1), 63 - 9
{Role of cytochrome P-450 in strain D7 of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae}; Del Carratore R et al.; Usual "in vitro" mutagenesis tests combine microbial test systems with mammalian metabolism (microsomal assay) . Some cases are known in which expected positive results are not obtained due to many factors operating between the microsomes in the incubation mixtures and the nucleus of the test microbial cells (detoxifying mechanisms, permeability effects, unstable intermediate, alternative targets in the pathway, etc.) . In these cases, useful additional information could be obtained using microbial test systems with incorporated metabolism . Microbial systems and in particular yeasts in Cytochrome P-450 dependent metabolizing activity are known since many years . We studied under this aspect the strain D7 of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, used in our laboratory, in order to standardize the conditions for optimal metabolizing activity . The composition of the culture medium, the growth phase, and the effect of the amount of the initial inoculum, were studied . Cytochrome P-450 content was determined by the technique of difference spectra (reduced cytochrome +/- CO) . Results on the effect of glucose and sodium phenobarbital concentration in the culture medium were in agreement with the literature . Moreover we found that the cytochrome P-450 contents was markedly dependent on the size of the initial inoculum, being higher and the smaller was the initial inoculum.

Br J Nutr, 1981 Jan, 45(1), 167 - 74
The digestibility of amino acids in the small intestine of the sheep; Tas MV et al.; 1 . The digestibilities of microbial and food proteins in the small intestine were studied in three sheep fitted with re-entrant cannulas in the proximal duodenum and terminal ileum . 2 . The quantities of microbial and food proteins at the small intestine were varied by infusion of a microbial isolate or by dietary manipulation and the balance of amino acids along the small intestine was determined . 3 . A mean value of 0.69 for the apparent digestibility and 0.86 for the true digestibility of total amino acids was obtained . 4 . From the composition of digesta at the duodenum the daily flows of microbial and food proteins were estimated . Their true digestibilities in the small intestine were calculated by regression and found to be: microbial protein 0.87 and food protein 0.82 . The mean endogenous loss of amino acids secreted into the small intestine was estimated to be 13.3 g/d.

Environ Health Perspect, 1981 Jan, 37, 107 - 15
Effects of exogenous materials on pollen tube growth in Lilium longiflorum pistils; Ascher PD; With the use of stigmatic exudate or distilled water as carriers, various antimetabolites, inhibitors, and miscellaneous materials were injected into the hollow styles of detached Lilium longiflorum pistils before, at, or after compatible or incompatible pollination . Pollen tube lengths were measured 48 hr after pollination with pollinated styles incubated at 22-23 degrees C . Substances considered inhibitors of protein synthesis in microbial systems significantly retarded both compatible and incompatible pollen tube growth while inhibitors of RNA synthesis tended to significantly inhibit compatible pollen tube growth with less or no effect on incompatible pollen tubes . Application of the inhibitors in stigmatic exudate at or after compatible pollination produced significant results at the lowest concentrations . Significant retardation of pollen tube growth also occurred after injection of 2,4-dinitrophenol, mercaptoethanol, indoleacetic acid, naphthaleneacetic acid, benzyladenine, dimethyl sulfoxide, or potassium or sodium iodide . Pollen tube growth in detached pistils of L . longiflorum may be useful as a bioassay in situ for screening biologically active materials.

J Clin Endocrinol Metab, 1981 Jan, 52(1), 62 - 5
Falsely elevated serum thyrotropin (TSH) in newborn infants: transfer from mothers to infants of a factor interfering in the TSH radioimmunoassay; Gendrel D et al.; In a TSH screening program for congenital hypothyroidism we detected seven newborn infants with normal plasma T4 and T3 levels but high immunoassayable TSH . Similar findings were obtained in their mothers . Serial plasma dilution curves, with and without the addition of normal rabbit serum to the samples, showed that the result of TSH assay performed with antihuman TSH rabbit antiserum was falsely elevated in mothers and infants by an interfering factor . Follow-up of the infants demonstrated that the falsely elevated plasma TSH levels returned to normal within the first 6 months of life . On the contrary, plasma TSH levels remained high in the mothers . These results suggested a placental transfer of maternal antibodies . Indeed, the analysis of the mothers anamnesis revealed that all had previously received injections of a microbial vaccine cultured on a rabbit lung-containing medium . We conclude that placental transfer of a maternal antirabbit factor may cause an artefactual hyperthyrotropinemia in the newborn and the incorrect diagnosis of neonatal hypothyroidism . This can be avoided by the addition of normal rabbit serum or immunoglobulin to the TSH RIA tubes.

Z Allg Mikrobiol, 1981, 21(8), 607 - 10
Effect of sodium molybdate on microbial fixation of nitrogen; Ranganayaki S et al.; The effect of 0, 100, 200, 300, 400, and 500 microM concentrations of sodium molybdate in the culture media of the five Azotobacter species isolated from Allahabad soil was studied . It was observed that the presence of molybdenum in the culture media of all the bacterial samples increased the fixation of nitrogen indicating that molybdenum is essential for increasing the efficiency of the nitrogen fixers for nitrogen fixation.

Vet Med Nauki, 1981, 18(3), 77 - 82
{Agents for the aerosol disinfection of the air in meat freezers}; Ionova I et al.; Studies were carried out on the use of aerosol disinfection with lactic acid and sorbic acid at rates of 15, 30, and 50 mg per 1 m3 air in chambers for the conservation of meat and meat products at temperatures within the range of 0 to 2 degrees C . Moulds of the Penicillium genus and psychrophile organisms (Pseudomonas, Alkaligenes, and Flavobacter) were used as test microbial species . It was found that the disinfection effect of lactic acid used in the form of aerosol was the same as that of sorbic acid when psychorophiles served as test bacteria, and was essentially better in the disinfection of the air in refrigerators and the surface of meat when Penicillium moulds were used . In concentrations of up to 50 mg/m3 both lactic acid and sorbic acid had no adverse effect on the organoleptic indices of meat during refrigerator storage.

Vet Med Nauki, 1981, 18(3), 65 - 71
{Quality of raw cow's milk}; Aleksieva V et al.; Studies were carried out on a total of 1459 batches of raw cow milk intended for processing with regard to the standard indices--temperature, titratable acidity, and mechanical contamination . The same batches were also investigated in terms of total bacterial contamination and coliform count . It was found that the quality of milk was good . Only 21 per cent of the investigated samples did not correspond to the standard requirements because of insufficient cooling, 0.2 per cent of the samples showed higher acidity, and 1.4 per cent were with mechanical admixtures . The total microbial content of the investigated milk varied in 52 per cent of the samples from 0.1 to 1 x 10/7cm3 . It was established that microbial contamination correlated strongly with the season . The coliform count in about 27 per cent of the samples was up to 1 x 10(4), and in about 42 per cent it was above 1 x 10(5)/cm3 . Highest coliform numbers were noted during the warm months . There existed a correlation between the total bacterial contamination and the amount of coliforms, which was more clearly expressed in batches of high and low bacterial count.

Biosystems, 1981, 14(2), 205 - 9
Measurement of biological activity in materially closed microbial ecosystems; Kearns EA et al.; Gas phase oxygen concentrations of materially closed, energetically open miniature microbial ecosystems were measured periodically . Our results indicate: (i) closed systems remain biologically active for at least 9 years, (ii) Po2 values might serve as an indicator of stability, (iii) each closed ecosystem seems to seek its own unique final Po2 state, and (iv) ecosystem response to experimentally depleted Po2 suggests the presence of positive feedback control.

Z Allg Mikrobiol, 1981, 21(4), 329 - 32
Microbial fixation of nitrogen in the presence of lanthanum sulphate; Ranganayaki S et al.; The effect of lanthanum sulphate on five Azotobacter strains (4A7, 10, 5A2, 5A1, and 3A3) isolated from Allahabad soil consists in a considerable increase in the nitrogen fixation, carbon consumption and in the amount of nitrogen fixed in mg per g of carbon consumed . The presence of 200 microM, 300 microM and 400 microM lanthanum sulphate in culture media increases the fixation of nitrogen by all the nitrogen fixers significantly.

Zentralbl Bakteriol Mikrobiol Hyg {B}, 1981, 173(5), 356 - 64
{Microbial settlement of paint- and building-materials in the sphere of drinking water . 8 . Communication: Experimental examination of epoxy resin in laboratory tests (author's transl)}; Schoenen D et al.; Different observations in potable water reservoirs with epoxy resins induced us to investigate some paintings . Commercial products of known and unknown constituents were tested . Some commercial products recommended for the use in potable water sphere produced microbial slime while others didn't . Solvents, accelerators and even both of the building compounds of the epoxy resin, if they are not used in the stoichiometric mixing ratio, may produce microbial slime . The temperature of preparation has an important influence on the slime formation.

Zentralbl Bakteriol Mikrobiol Hyg {B}, 1981, 173(5), 285 - 92
Microbial colonization of prosthetic devices . I . Microtopographical characteristics of intravenous catheters as detected by scanning electron microscopy; Locci R et al.; Ten commercially available unused intravenous catheters were investigated by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) . Different types of irregularities in the external and internal surface could be detected in all catheters examined . Representative examples were demonstrated in 6 SEM-photos . The possible role of such irregularities in favouring bacterial attachment to catheter surfaces was discussed.

Carcinogenesis, 1981, 2(4), 255 - 9
Elastatinal and leupeptin: effects on u.v.-induced mutation and sister-chromatid exchanges in Chinese hamster cells; Paul P et al.; Microbial protease inhibitors elastatinal and leupeptin were tested for cytotoxicity and for effects on spontaneous and u.v.-induced 6-thioguanine-resistant (6TGr) mutation and sister-chromatid exchange (SCE) in V79 Chinese hamster cells . Continuous treatment with elastatinal exhibited marked cytotoxicity, while leupeptin was almost non-cytotoxic . Elastatinal rapidly induced cytotoxic effects as a function of its concentration and time of exposure . Near maximum cytotoxicity was reached after exposure of 6-8 h and this was partially abolished by the presence of 2.5 micrograms cycloheximide per ml . Concentrations of either protease inhibitor which gave 60-80% survival had no appreciable effects on u.v . survival and frequencies of spontaneous and u.v.-induced 6TGr mutation and SCE . However, reconstruction experiments revealed that pretreatments of 6TGr and 6TGs (wild-type) cells with these inhibitors for 6 days tended to block metabolic co-operation in their co-cultures . Thus, elastatinal and leupeptin are neither clastogenic mutagenic by themselves, and do not alter mutation fixation and expression.

Microbios, 1981, 29(115), 15 - 21
The chemical stability of metabisulphite in bone meal and gelatin; Abalaka JA; The chemical stability of metabisulphite, an anti-microbial preservative, was investigated in rehydrated bone meal and in gelatin . Metabisulphite-treated bone meal rehydrated to a total moisture level of 10%, and metabisulphite-treated gelatin was sampled over 4 weeks to determine the levels of residual metabisulphite, as measured by the available sulphur dioxide . Results revealed that the levels of metabisulphite in the bone meal declined quite rapidly and significantly after 10 days of metabisulphite incorporation into the bone meal, but no major decrease in the levels of metabisulphite incorporated into the gelatin was observed throughout the 4 weeks of investigation . Reasons for the differences in the stability of metabisulphite in the two products have been suggested.

J Wildl Dis, 1981 Jan, 17(1), 11 - 6
The efficacy of UV irradiation in the microbial disinfection of marine mammal water; Spotte S et al.; A study was made on the efficacy of a commercial ultraviolet (UV) sterilizer in reducing the number of bacteria and yeasts ina saline, closed-system marine mammal complex . UV irradiation was effective in lowering bacterial counts in the effluent of the unit (greater than 75% reduction), but bacteria in more remote parts of the water system reached levels equal to or greater than pre-UV counts . Yeast reduction was considerably less, and a trend similar to that of the bacteria was observed in remote sections of the water system . It is concluded that UV irradiation is of limited value in the disinfection of marine mammal water . Factors contributing to the poor performance of the sterilizer were the long recycle time of the water and lack of a residual effect.

J Antibiot (Tokyo), 1981 Jan, 34(1), 90 - 4
The role of bestatin, an inhibitor of cell surface proteases, in the interaction of serum with untransformed cells in culture; Koren R et al.; Bestatin is an inhibitor of cell surface-associated aminopeptidase B and leucine aminopeptidase . This microbial product simulates the role of serum as an activator of uridine uptake in quiescent BHK cells . The compound significantly stimulates the incorporation of labelled thymidine into the acid-insoluble fraction of serum-starved Nil 8 cells in the presence of low concentration of serum . The possible mechanisms of these interactions are discussed.

Int Surg, 1981 Jan-Mar, 66(1), 53 - 6
Microsurgical treatment of lymphedemas of the limbs; Fox U et al.; Lymphaticovenous anastomosis for surgical treatment of lymphedema of the limbs has been performed for several years with good results . The authors report on their experience, gained since 1976, after having operated on primary or secondary lymphedemas (five upper and 15 lower limbs) . Lymphaticovenous anastomosis was performed according to Degni's technique using a special needle by which lymphatic vessels are inserted in the vein and secured to its wall . Eighty-three per cent of the subjective results were good, and the percentage of mean volumetric reduction in the operated limbs was 43% in 16 controlled cases . The postoperative course of secondary lymphedemas of the upper limbs was sometimes complicated by sudden lymphangitis attacks . In dealing with primary lymphedemas, the best results were obtained when all the operated limbs had great volumetric reduction, allowing the patients to resume their normal activities . The authors conclude that, after a long period of preoperative anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial therapy and regardless of lymphographic patterns, it is always worthwhile to perform a surgical exploration of the crural lymph nodes.

Pharmazie, 1981, 36(2), 147 - 54
{Problems of microbial contamination in pharmaceutical services (author's transl)}; Hilbig B et al.; There are only few data about the microbial contents in the workrooms of pharmacies . Up to now, neither the kinds of bacteria and yeasts encountered, nor their resistance has been determined . The "personal hygiene of the staff' is studied on the example of their hands, towels and protective clothes . The kinds of bacteria found on surfaces used for pharmaceutical work are analysed . Proposals for limiting the germ content in the air are commented upon . Health measures are elaborated on the basis of the results from the present investigation.

J Postgrad Med, 1981 Jan, 27(1), 29 - 32
Tubo-ovarian actinomycosis; Shroff CP et al.; PIP: Actinomycotic infection of the female genital tract is rare . Actinomycosis is a chronic suppurative granulomatous infection that is characterized by formation of abscesses, multiple draining sinuses and appearance of tangled mycelial masses or granules in the discharges and tissue sections . 2 cases of tubo-ovarian actinomycosis are reported . The 1st case presented clinical with gastrointestinal symptoms and a ventral scar hernia following an operation for a non-healing abdominal wound 6 months earlier . The 2nd case sought medical attention for backache and leucorrhea of 4 years' duration . Exploratory laparotomy in the 1st case revealed tubo-ovarian masses; the vermiform appendix was not traceable . The uterine cavity in the 2nd case harbored a wooden stick . Direct extension from established ileocacal actinomycosis was believed to involve the female genital adnexae in the past . Association of tubo-ovarian actinomycosis with the presence of a foreign body in the female genital tract has been reported sporadically in the literature, yet an increase in the incidence may be expected because of the frequent use of intrauterine contraceptive devices in recent times . It is suggested that in women presenting clinically with vague abdominal symptoms, backache and discharge, actinomycosis should be considered and ruled out with the help of cytologic and proper microbial culture methods . Once the diagnosis is established, the infection can be treated with good results with penicillin .

J Biochem (Tokyo), 1981 Jan, 89(1), 193 - 201
Purification and properties of an aminopeptidase from seeds of Japanese apricot; Ninomiya K et al.; An aminopeptidase was purified about 1,700-fold from seeds of Japanese apricot (Prunus mume Sieb.) by a seven-step procedure comprising extraction from seeds, ammonium sulfate fractionation, DEAE-cellulose chromatography, first and second DEAE-Sepharose chromatography, hydroxyapatite chromatography, and Sephadex G-200 gel filtration . The purified enzyme was shown to be homogeneous on polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis . The molecular weight of the enzyme was estimated to be about 56,000 by gel filtration on Sephadex G-200 and the isoelectric point was 4.9 . The pH optimum for L-leucine beta-naphthylamide was between pH 6.5 and 7.0, and the enzyme was stable in the pH 5.0 to 8.3 region and up to 50 degrees C . The enzyme hydrolyzed a variety of aminopeptidase substrates with a free alpha-amino group . Of the amino acid beta-naphthylamides, the enzyme was highly specific for substrates with a hydrophobic side chain in the amino terminal residue . The enzyme was strongly inhibited by p-chloromercuribenzoate, heavy metals, diethyl pyrocarbonate, and photooxidation with methylene blue, but was not affected by thiol compounds, peptidase inhibitors of microbial origin, such as bestatin and puromycin, or metal chelating agents . No activation of the enzyme by metal ions was observed . These results suggest that the enzyme is a true aminopeptidase in which cysteine and histidine residues participate in the catalytic process, and is not classifiable as a metalloenzyme.

Zh Vopr Neirokhir Im N N Burdenko, 1981 Jan-Feb, (1), 16 - 9
{Prevention of wound infection in open skull and brain injuries}; Umakhanov RU; Measures aimed at the prevention of complications gain foremost importance when timely surgical treatment of a penetrating craniocerebral wound cannot be conducted . Experimental research and clinical experience have shown that the administration of 50 000--100 000 U of an antibiotic (kanamycin, monomycin, hectamycin, chloramphenicol) into the wound soon after an open penetrating injury had been inflicted to the skull and brain protects the wound from microbial contamination . This provides the possibility for postponing the plastic operation of the defect in the dura mater.

Acta Chir Scand, 1981, 147(8), 697 - 701
Ileal Crohn tissue and concomitant flora inoculated into germfree rats; Bergstrand LO et al.; During the last decade, the presence of a transmissible agent in Crohn's disease has been disputed . Some authors have observed granulomatous changes in laboratory animals inoculated with Crohn tissue, while others have failed to do so . The reason for these differences in results might inter alia be the susceptibility of the recipient animals and/or the handling of the Crohn tissue . In the present study germfree rats, which are known ot be highly susceptible to microbial agents, were inoculated with ileal Crohn tissue with adjacent content . The Crohn tissue was handled in a way securing the least possible influence of oxygen on the anaerobic part of the flora . The animals were exsanguinated after 35 weeks . Specimens from the gastrointestinal tract and related organs were removed and examined histologically . In all 264 specimens from inoculated rats and 144 from untreated controls were examined . None of the inoculated germfree rats showed any patho-anatomical changes or other features related to Crohn's disease.

Crit Rev Microbiol, 1981, 9(1), 1 - 44
The systems approach to diagnostic microbiology; D'Amato RF et al.; "Classical" and "conventional" methods for microbial identification are still utilized in clinical microbiology laboratories; however, significant advances in methodology have taken place in the last two decades . In the transition from classical to contemporary methodologies, the reference point has changed from multistep procedures to unitary procedures with marked emphasis on standardization, speed, reproducibility, and most recently, mechanization and automation . The most evident expression of this transition is the adaptation or streamlining of classical methods in the form of "miniaturized identification systems" and their commercial availability . This review analyzes the development of the underlining principles that make the systems approach to diagnostic microbiology possible.

Environ Mutagen, 1981, 3(5), 555 - 63
The mutagenic effect of cis-diamminedichloroplatinum (II) and its degradation products in the Ames microbial assay; Peer RL et al.; cis-Diamminedichloroplatinum (II), an antitumor compound which exhibits mutagenic activity, and its degradation products platin B salt, magnus red, and magnus red anion salt were tested in the Ames microbial mutagenicity assay . The purpose of this investigation was to determine if the positive mutagenic response of the platinum compound could be due to, or enhanced by, the presence of degradation products . Results indicate that platinum degradation complexes are weak mutagens which are capable of inducing both base pair and frameshift-type mutations.

Z Allg Mikrobiol, 1981, 21(5), 373 - 409
{Possibilities for direct manipulation of gene expression of microbial secondary metabolism}; Grafe U; The present review deals with some theoretical and applied aspects of directed manipulations of control mechanisms governing the expression of microbial secondary metabolism . In attempting to make broad generalizations, the production of secondary metabolites is discussed in terms of the cellular differentiation of relevant organisms . On the basis of the actual information about the regulation of microbial idiolite synthesis, some potential ways for the quantitative and the qualitative improvement of secondary metabolite production are discussed . A number of examples demonstrate the effectiveness of rational strategies of strain development, e . g., the removal of non-specific repressions of secondary metabolism by environmental factors, the excessive production of precursors due to altered control of intermediary metabolism, the increased resistance of producer organism against the autotoxicity of some idiolites, the deletion of alternative pathways of the primary and secondary metabolism, manipulations concerning the product spectrum, the deletion of feedback mechanisms, and elimination of degradating pathways in the secondary metabolism etc . The scope and limitations of rational strategies of strain improvement by genetic and physiologic manipulations are subjected to final discussion.

Ann Biol Clin (Paris), 1981, 39(1), 29 - 32
{Evaluation of ready-to-use media for blood cultures based on 1580 specimens (author's transl)}; Descamps P et al.; We have compared the performance of two types of manufactured media, by making 1580 blood cultures from 250 hospitalized people with bacteremia . The results showed that, within the limits of this present study, the Bacto Tryptic Soy Broth w/SPS and Bacto Thiol Broth w/SPS (DIFCO) are better than the brain heart broth and Schaedler broth (Hemoline, BioMerieux) . There was no difference in the microbial growth rate and the type of isolated bacteria with the two brands of media . The superior results obtained with the used media from Difco, as compared to the ones from BioMerieux, could be due to a difference of sensitivity of these broths.

Nucleic Acids Symp Ser, 1981, (10), 227 - 31
Preliminary crystal structure analysis of a microbial, guanine-specific ribonuclease St at 2.5 A resolution; Yamamoto Y et al.; The three-dimensional structure of Ribonuclease St (RNase St), the extracellular ribonuclease from Streptomyces erythreus, has been deduced based on a preliminary electron density map at 2.5 A resolution . RNase St has a substrate specificity similar to ribonuclease T1 which catalyzes the splitting of the phosphodiester bond of guanylic acid . Crystals grown as diamond plates have space group C2 with unit cell parameters a=88.4, b=33.0, c=69.0 A, beta = 98.4 degrees having two enzyme molecules per asymmetric unit . Phases were obtained by use of KAu(CN)4, phenylmercuric acetate and UO2 (CH3COO)2 . The overall dimensions of the molecule are 40 X 30 X 25 A . The most prominent secondary structural features are two turns of alpha-helix and a three strand stretch of antiparallel beta-sheet . The alpha-carbon backbone of RNase St seems to have no apparent correlation with that of ribonuclease A.

Infect Control, 1981 Jan-Feb, 2(1), 26 - 30
A new synergized glutaraldehyde-phenate sterilizing solution and concentrated disinfectant; Leach ED; Research leading to the development of Sporicidin, a new (synergized glutaraldehyde-phenate) sterilant and concentrated disinfectant, is reported . Microbial evaluation and shelf life testing of the new formulation was done using AOAC tests--Use-Dilution, Sporicidal, Tuberculocidal--and the E.P.A . Virucidal Test . Full-strength Sporicidin sterilizes (is sporicidal) in 6 3/4 hours at both 20C and 25C, and disinfects in 1-2 minutes . When diluted with 15 parts of tap water, Sporicidin is tuberculocidal, virucidal, and germicidal in 10 minutes, qualifying as a hospital disinfectant that will not "yellow" the hands or skin . The shelf life of activated Sporidicin, full strength or diluted 1 in 16, is 30 days . According to the data presented, which were the basis of E.P.A . registrations, Sporicidin is: (a) the fastest glutaraldehyde sterilant at room temperature, and (b) the only glutaraldehyde product that can be diluted below 2% and still qualify as a hospital disinfectant.

Scand J Rheumatol, 1981, 10(1), 9 - 15
Regional distribution of rheumatic complaints in Sweden; Bjelle A et al.; Regional differences regarding prevalence of rheumatic complaints were found in a nation-wide interview survey of the adult Swedish population . A higher prevalence was found in regions of low population density, the highest being in the North . Osteo-arthritis was more prevalent in Northern Sweden, particularly among men, while back disorders were more common in all regions of low population density . Physically strenuous working conditions were found more frequently in all regions of low population density . Among other possible factors contributing to the regional differences in rheumatic complaints, genetic differences in HLA B27 within the Swedish population and the occurrence of cryophilic arthritogenic microbial flora, are discussed.

Acta Vitaminol Enzymol, 1981, 3(3), 145 - 56
Inactivation of microbial pyridoxal kinase by pyridoxal; Furukawa Y et al.; Pyridoxal kinase from Escherichia coli and bakers' yeast was inactivated by pyridoxal while the enzyme from rat and pig brain was not . The inactivation of the enzyme purified from E . coli was reversible and was rendered irreversible by the reduction with NaBH4 . This finding as well as a similar inactivation by 5'-deoxypyridoxal but not by 4'-deoxypyridoxine suggested that the inactivation was due to Schiff base formation . The suggestion was confirmed by the incorporation of tritium label into the enzyme by the reaction of the enzyme with {3H} pyridoxal followed by the treatment with NaBH4 . Correlation between the loss of enzyme activity and the amount of pyridoxal bound to the enzyme showed that binding of pyridoxal to one crucial site completely inactivated the enzyme . Pyridoxine and 4'-deoxypyridoxine did not have a protective effect against inactivation indicates that the binding site was not the substrate site . The results of kinetic and equilibrium analyses were consistent with a one-step inactivation mechanism.

Intervirology, 1981, 16(1), 49 - 52
Effect of protease inhibitors on the activation of Epstein-Barr virus repressed in cultured lymphoid cells; Morigaki T et al.; The effects of five microbial and one synthetic protease inhibitors on the activation of Epstein-Barr virus expression in latency infected lymphoblastoid cells were studied . All protease inhibitors tested suppressed both viral antigen induction by 5-iododeoxyuridine treatment and cell growth in general . Among the inhibitors, however, antipain and pepstatin exerted a relatively strong and significant suppressive effect on antigen induction as compared to their inhibitory effect on cell growth.

J Wildl Dis, 1981 Jan, 17(1), 17 - 22
Prevalence of selected pathogenic microbial agents in the red fox (Vulpes fulva) and gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) of southwestern Wisconsin; Amundson TE et al.; Free-ranging red foxes (Vulpes fulva) and gray foxes (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) were trapped in southwestern Wisconsin . Fox sera were tested to determine the prevalence of antibody for five different Leptospira interrogans serovars, canine distemper virus (CDV), infectious canine hepatitis virus (ICHV), and Franciscella tularensis infections . Grippotyphosa was the most prevalent leptospiral serovar antibody observed . Twenty-five of 53 (47%) red foxes and 11 of 36 (31%) gray foxes had specific antibodies to grippotyphosa . Juvenile foxes had geometric mean antibody titers to grippotyphosa significantly higher (P less than 0.05) than those of the adults of both species . CDV antibody was detected in sera of red foxes only . Six of 57 (11%) red foxes had CDV antibody . ICHV antibody was detected in 2 of 57 (3%) red foxes and 3 of 32 (9%) gray foxes . Antibody to F . tularensis was not detected in any fox sera.

Z Allg Mikrobiol, 1981, 21(1), 47 - 51
An experimental approach to energy balance in a microbial process using the dichromate oxidation method; Nikolajewski HE et al.; The dichromate oxidation method was used to determine the number of reduction equivalents of organic substrates, cell mass and extracellular products in aerobical batch cultivations of Bordetella pertussis . The reduction equivalents obtained by this method were transformed into caloric values based on the fact that heat of reaction per equivalent oxygen consumed by oxidation of different organic substances is relatively constant . According to the law of conservation of energy a complete energy balance associated with an aerobical microbial process was developed using the caloric values mentioned above.

Ann Otolaryngol Chir Cervicofac, 1981, 98(6), 269 - 97
{Enzymatic mechanism of otosclerosis . Action of NaF}; Causse JR et al.; The authors present the conclusions they reached after more than four years of multiple correlations made from february 1976 to september 1980 . 648 perilymph samples were selected from a total number of 811 samples taken during stapedectomies on otosclerotic patients . These multiple correlations were based on micro-dosages of three selected enzymes (trypsin-alpha 1 antitrypsin and alpha 2 macroglobulin, the fourth cathepsin B having not been found, even in perilymph pools) in each of the selected samples, and on their relationship with the cochlear deterioration expressed in dBs of B.C . decrease and in audiometric stages corrected with reference to the patients' age . This study leads to an enzymatic mechanism, based on the previously reported trypsin-alpha 1 antitrypsin balance, but in which alpha 2 macroglobulin appears to play as essential a role as that of alpha 1 A . This enzymatic mechanism explains NaF efficiency, due in fact to a double action, not only to direct trypsin inhibition, but also to an overall reduction in enzymatic levels in the perilymph of otosclerotic patients . The authors conclude by suggesting the possibility of future NaF replacement by proteinase inhibitors, either of microbial origin currently under study by Japanese researchers, or even of synthetic origin.

Basic Life Sci, 1981, 18, 151 - 82
Amylases: enzymatic mechanisms; French D; Many types of amylases are found throughout the animal, vegetable and microbial kingdoms . They have evolved along different pathways to enable the organism to convert insoluble starch (or glycogen) into low molecular weight, water soluble dextrins and sugars . Alpha amylases are dextrinogenic and can attack the interior of starch molecules . The products retain the alpha anomeric configuration . Beta amylases act only at the non-reducing chain ends and liberate only beta maltose . Both alpha and beta amylases exhibit multiple (repetitive) attack, that is, after the initial catalytic cleavage, the enzyme may remain attached to the substrate and lead to several more cleavages before dissociation of the enzyme-substrate complex . Amylases have extended substrate binding sites, in the range 4-9 glucose units . This enables the enzyme to stress the substrate and lower the activation energy for hydrolysis . Similarly the enzyme exerts a torsion on the glucose unit at the catalytic site, inducing a transition state conformation (oxycarbonium ion) . Alpha and beta amylases differ in the stereospecific hydration of the oxycarbonium ion, in the sequence of liberation of the right-hand vs the left-hand product, and the direction of motion of the retained substrate to give multiple attack.

J Neurol, 1981, 225(3), 197 - 206
A case of benign recurrent meningitis of Mollaret; Barontini F et al.; A 72-year-old woman, previously in good health, suffered for 2 years from attacks of a complex neuropsychiatric syndrome lasting from 2 days to 4 weeks . These episodes, which were followed by intervals of nearly complete recovery, were usually marked by fever, headache, mental confusion, vomiting ataxia, anisocoria, epileptic seizures and stiffness of the neck . Neuroradiological investigation revealed only slight ventricular dilatation . In 13 CSF examinations, there was reduced glucose, increased protein, considerable rise of the IgG index and constant oligoclonal bands . There was also an increase of polymorphonuclear leucocytes, lymphocytes or epithelial-like cells . As all microbial, viral or mycotic tests were negative and the patient recovered, the case was considered to be benign recurrent meningitis of Mollaret . The nosological position of this rare disease, as well as its probable pathogenetic mechanisms, are discussed.

Mol Cell Biochem, 1980 Dec 10, 33(1-2), 13 - 24
Structure-function relations in flavodoxins; Simondsen RP et al.; Flavodoxins are low molecular weight, FMN containing, proteins which function as electron transfer agents in a variety of microbial metabolic processes, including nitrogen fixation . Utilizing structural information obtained from x-ray crystal analysis, it has been possible to derive some new and important insights into the relationships which exist between flavin properties and protein environment by comparing the spectroscopic, thermodynamic and kinetic behavior of the flavodoxins with that of free flavin . Thus, for example, a qualitative understanding of the contribution of the protein to flavin redox potentials, semiquinone reactivity and mechanism of electron transfer is beginning to emerge . The highly negative redox potential required for the biochemical activity of the flavodoxins is accomplished by stabilizing the semiquinone via a hydrogen bond to the N-5 position of the flavin and destabilizing the fully-reduced form by constraining it to assume an unfavorable planar conformation . The reactivity of the semiquinone form is lowered by the aforementioned hydrogen bond, as well as by an interaction with a tryptophan residue in the binding site . Electron transfer is accomplished through the exposed dimethylbenzene ring of the bound coenzyme . Although it is not possible at present to determine the extent to which this understanding can be generalized to other flavoproteins, it is clear that a study of the flavodoxins will provide us with at least some of the principles which biological systems have used to modify flavin properties to fulfill a biochemical need.

J Biol Chem, 1980 Dec 10, 255(23), 11408 - 14
Location of heme a on subunits I and II and copper on subunit II of cytochrome c oxidase; Winter DB et al.; A systemic study has been made of copper and heme a binding to subunits of beef heart cytochrome c oxidase . Copper and heme a were readily mobilized by ionic detergents, high ionic strengths, temperatures above 0 degrees C, thiol compounds, and gel-bound peroxides and free radicals when the subunits of the oxidase were dissociated from one another during polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis . Most subunits showed some affinity for heme a and copper under these conditions . However, in the presence of specific mixtures of ionic and nonionic detergents (e.g . 0.1% sodium dodecyl sulfate, 0.025% Triton X-100) at temperatures below 0 degrees C and in buffers of low ionic strength using 10 to 12% polyacrylamide gels preelectrophoresed for 3 days with thioglycolate, about 90% of the Cu was found on subunit II (Mr = 24,100), and heme a was found in equal amounts of subunits I (Mr = 35,800) and II . The oxidized-reduced and reduced-CO absorption spectra of these subunits resembled those of cytochrome c oxidase . It appears probable that in the native enzyme, subunit I contains heme a and subunit II contains copper and heme a . A relationship of mammalian cytochrome c oxidase to the two-subunit microbial cytochrome oxidase systems appears to exist.

Ann Rheum Dis, 1980 Dec, 39(6), 545 - 9
Association of inflammation with raised serum IgA in ankylosing spondylitis; Cowling P et al.; Serum immunoglobulins were measured in 122 patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) during various phases of disease activity and compared to those in 58 healthy subjects . The mean serum IgA was 38% higher in patients (306.9 mg/dl) than in controls (222.7 mg/dl) (P < 0.005), but there was no significant difference in IgG and IgM levels . Increased IgA was associated with laboratory parameters of active inflammatory disease . The mean IgA in patients having an erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) equal to or greater than 15 mm/h was 369 mg/dl, 65% higher than in controls (P < 0.001), whereas there was no significant difference between controls and patients with an ESR of less than 15 mm/h . The mean IgA in patients having a C-reactive protein (CRP) level equal to greater than 15 micrograms/ml (15 mg/l) was 387.8 mg/dl, 74% higher than in controls (P < 0.001), and again there was no significant difference between controls and patients with CRP levels less than 15 micrograms/ml . (SI conversion: g/l = mg/dl x 0.01) . It is suggested that selective increase of serum IgA occurs predominantly during phases of active inflammatory disease in AS, and this finding is compatible with the concept of a microbial triggering agent acting across an IgA secreting organ such as the gut.

J Lab Clin Med, 1980 Dec, 96(6), 1081 - 5
Evaluation of iron-chelating agents in cultured heart muscle cells . Identification of a potential drug for chelation therapy; Sciortino CV et al.; Primary cultures of neonatal rat cardiac muscle cells incorporated radioiron from both {55Fe}transferrin and 59FeCl3 (added simultaneously) . To evaluate the effect of iron chelators on such uptake, deferri chelators were added 6 hr after addition of the radioiron sources . The microbial chelator agrobactin was significantly more effective than the drug defoxamine in reduction of 55Fe uptake from {55Fe}transferrin; both chelators halted 59Fe3+ uptake . Agrobactin may have potential in chelation therpay for iron-overload disease . Certain other microbial chelators lowered radioiron uptake from either {55Fe}transferrin of 59FeCl3 . These chelators should be useful inhibitors for studies of animal cell iron uptake and intracellular iron flow.

Steroids, 1980 Dec, 36(6), 723 - 30
Microbial degradation of the phytosterol side-chain to 24-oxo products; Knight JC et al.; A mutant of the potent sterol degrader Mycobacterium fortuitum (ATCC 6842) has been isolated which is defective in its ability to degrade both the steroid nucleus and sterol side-chains that are branched at the 24-position . Bioconversions of phytosterol mixtures by this mutant resulted in the accumulation of the novel 24-oxo intermediates 9-hydroxy-27-nor-4-cholestene-3,24-dione (II) and 9-hydroxy-26,27-dinor-4-cholestene-3,24-dione (III) . Under the same conditions, cholesterol is degraded mainly to 9-hydroxy-4-androstene-3,17-dione (I) by this organism.

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 1980 Dec, 77(12), 7044 - 8
Characterization of a protease apparently involved in processing of pre-ornithine transcarbamylase of rat liver; Mori M et al.; The precursor of rat liver ornithine transcarbamylase (ornithine carbamoyltransferase; carbamoylphosphate:L-ornithine carbamoyltransferase, EC 2.1.3.3) (pre-ornithine transcarbamylase), which was synthesized in a reticulocyte lysate cell-free system, was converted to an apparently mature form of the enzyme by isolated rat liver mitochondria . The proteolytic processing involved two steps: (i) conversion of pre-ornithine transcarbamylase (39,400 daltons) to a product of about 37,000 daltons and (ii) further conversion to the apparently mature form of the enzyme (36,00 daltons) . When mitochondria were subfractionated by digitonin treatment followed by sonication of a mitoplast fraction, the proteolytic activity catalyzing the first step was recovered mainly in a matrix fraction . Some activity was found in an intermembrane space fraction . The enzyme activity in the matrix fraction has an optimal pH at about 7.5 . The activity was inhibited almost completely by 2 mM leupeptin and partly by 2 mM antipain but not significantly by other microbial protease inhibitors or serine protease inhibitors . It was inhibited strongly by 2 mM EDTA, 2 mM ethylene glycol bis(beta-aminoethyl ether)-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetate, 2 mM p-chloromercuriphenylsulfonate, and 2 mM Hg(CH3COO)2 but not by N-ethylmaleimide or iodoacetamide . These results suggest that pre-ornithine transcarbamylase is first transported into the mitochondrial matrix and converted there to the mature form of the enzyme by a novel neutral protease(s).

Transplantation, 1980 Dec, 30(6), 450 - 4
Improved allograft survival of strong immune responder-high risk recipients with adjuvant antithymocyte globulin therapy; Kerman RH et al.; The pretransplant cellular immune responsiveness of 90 renal failure patients was correlated with subsequent allograft survival . Patients were subdivided in two bases: whether the pretransplant immune parameter values were above (strong responder) or below (weak responder) the group median, and whether they were responsive or anergic to recall skin test antigens . In a group of 72 cadaveric renal allograft recipients, treated with only Imuran and prednisone, the overall 1-year graft survival was 48% . Pretransplant immunocompetence correlated with graft survival: factors predicting longer allograft survival (P < 0.01) included: percentage of active T rosette-forming cells (A-T RFCs) < 36.5%, anergy to microbial skin test (ST) antigens, in vitro spontaneous blastogenesis (SB) < 14,600 cpm, and response to a panel of five donors in mixed lymphocyte culture (PMLC) < 28,000 cpm . In the two groups, weak and strong responders, the 1-year graft survival rates differed: 63% versus 32% when segregated by the A-T RFC parameter, 63% versus 33% for ST, 57% versus 36% for SB, and 63% versus 35% for PMLC . There were no significant differences in the number of HLA mismatches between the two groups . An additional group of 18 patients was treated with adjuvant immunosuppressive therapy by prophylactic administration of antithymocyte globulin (ATG; Upjohn Co.) . Strong, but not weak, responders treated with ATG displayed a significantly improved (P < 0.01) 1-year graft survival over that of the untreated group . Thus, pretransplant immunological assessment may guide the selection of adjuvant immunosuppressive therapy to improve renal allograft survival in strong immune responders at high risk of rejection.

J Invest Dermatol, 1980 Dec, 75(6), 476 - 80
Trichophyton mentagrophytes dermatophytosis in germfree guinea pigs; Green F 3rd et al.; Primary and secondary Trichophyton mentagrophytes dermatophytosis was studied in germfree and conventionally-reared Strain 2 guinea pigs . Although the onset and early development of the primary cutaneous lesions appeared similar in both groups, the T . mentagrophytes monoassociated guinea pigs exhibited more severe skin ulcerations and took twice as long to heal as their conventionally-reared counterparts . Cutaneous reinfection of T . mentagrophytes monoassociated guinea pigs was also protracted; however, these lesions healed in about the same time as a primary infection on conventionally-reared guinea pigs . Germfree guinea pigs, sensitized by cutaneous infection with T . mentagrophytes, manifested 3 correlates of systemic cell-mediated immunity: (1) delayed-type hypersensitivity to intracutaneous injection of trichophytin antigen, (ii) in vitro blastogenesis of spleen and lymph node cells to polyclonal mitogens and Trichophyton antigens, and (iii) allergic contact dermatitis 48 hr following cutaneous reinfection . In an additional experiment, we observed that the time course and severity of a primary T . mentagrophytes infection of germfree guinea pigs was reduced by prior feedings with heat-killed T . mentagrophytes culture . These experiments confirm that the normal microbial skin flora is not required for initiation, development or clearance of T . mentagrophytes dermatophytosis . The disease was protracted and severe in T . mentagrophytes monoassociated guinea pigs, but was abbreviated following either active infection or feeding heat killed mentagrophytes culture . These results support the hypothesis that cutaneous T . mentagrophytes infection is a cell-mediated hypersensitivity disease similar to contact dermatitis.

Nurs Clin North Am, 1980 Dec, 15(4), 671 - 88
The patient's environment: haven or hazard; Hargiss CO; The hospital environment is a complex mix of animate and inanimate components that interact in a myriad of ways to alter the normal flora of a patient, become reservoirs for hospital strains, and provide pathways for transmission of potential pathogens to patients, personnel, and visitors . It is increasingly vital that those responsible for medical and nursing care have the knowledge of normal microbial flora, potential pathogenic organisms, and the routes of transmission through direct or indirect contact, air, or vehicles on which to base responsible decisions . To be effective this knowledge must be incorporated into assessments of individual patients which identify risks and hazards and into daily routine activities (such as handwashing) to block or minimize colonization by hospital strains that can lead to nosocomial infection.

J Nutr, 1980 Dec, 110(12), 2381 - 9
Effect of heat treatment on ruminal degradation and escape, and intestinal digestibility of cottonseed meal protein; Broderick GA et al.; The effect of heat treatment of ruminal protein degradation and escape was studied using in vitro incubations with autoclaved and commercial cottonseed meal (CSM) samples . Incubations using high ratios of protein to ruminal fluid appeared to overestimate ruminal degradation of CSM protein relative to casein . A biexponential model, assuming CSM contained two protein fractions degraded at two different rates, was used to interpret data from in vitro incubations conducted using ratios of protein to ruminal fluid similar to those expected in vivo . The first fraction was degraded at rates (0.68-1.19/hour) which were 2--3 1/2 times greater than that of casein (0.34/hour) . Degradation rates of the second fraction were much slower (0.011-0.093/hour) . The effect of heat treatment was to decrease the proportion of the rapidly degraded fraction and to both increase the proportion and to decrease the degradation rate of the more slowly degraded fraction . Estimated ruminal escape increased with each increment of heat treatment . Intestinal protein digestibility (ruminal escape times true digestibility) increased to maximum at 60 minutes autoclaving, and then declined . Estimates of intestinal protein digestibility averaged 30.6 and 50.3% for solvent-extracted and screw-press CSM, respectively . These and previous results suggest heat treatment decreases ruminal degradation partly by blocking reactive sites for microbial proteolytic enzymes and partly by reducing protein solubility.

Br J Vener Dis, 1980 Dec, 56(6), 397 - 9
Rectal gonorrhoea in male homosexuals . Presentation and therapy; Fluker JL et al.; In a review of rectal gonorrhoea 73 episodes were studied in 65 homosexual men . The presenting signs and symptoms were carefully noted . Treatment with a single injection of spectinomycin hydrochloride 2 g resulted in a cure rate of 94.5% . The relatively high treatment failure rate associated with rectal gonorrhoea may possibly be due to microbial mechanisms.

Fortschr Med, 1980 Nov 27, 98(44), 1742 - 7
{Non-infectious oral aphthous disorders . 2 . Behçet's syndrome (malignant aphthosis)}; Hornstein OP et al.; Behcet's (Behcet-Touraine's resp.) disease is a very serious systemic vasculitis exhibiting the clinical features of simultaneously or successively recurrent oral aphthosis, genital lesions and ophthalmitis (mainly of uveitis type) . During relapsing acute phases of generalisation multifocal visceral, arthritic and/or neurological manifestations with life-threatening complications may develop . The disease which in some geographic areas (Japan, Near East) is observed with rather high prevalence rates, is also assumed to occur in Central Europe more frequently as being diagnosed so far . As to early recognition, the recurrent oral aphthosis spread in the entire oro-pharynx ("malignant aphthosis") is of importance . The present view of aetiopathogenesis deals with an abnormal increase of circulating immune complexes (mainly IgG complexes) against mucosal and/or microbial antigens, which accumulate in both small and larger blood vessels elicidating a severe immunocomplex vasculitis with necrotising tissue damage . For therapeutic management systemic high dose treatment with corticosteroids including immunosuppressive drugs is mandatory.

J Antibiot (Tokyo), 1980 Nov, 33(11), 1300 - 8
Physico-chemical properties of new acyl derivatives of tylosin produced by microbial transformation; Okamoto R et al.; By microbial transformation of tylosin (I), the following eight new acyl derivatives were obtained: 3-acetyltylosin (II), 3-propionyltylosin (III), 4"-butyryltylosin (IV), 4"-isovaleryltylosin (V), 3-acetyl-4"-butyryltylosin (VI), 3-acetyl-4"-isovaleryltylosin (VII), 3-propionyl-4"-butyryltylosin (VIII) and 3-propionyl-4"-isovaleryltylosin (IX).

J Anim Sci, 1980 Nov, 51(5), 1177 - 81
Thiamin balance in the gastrointestinal tract of sheep; Breves G et al.; Six 5- to 6-month-old sheep fitted with rumen fistulas and reentrant cannulas in the duodenum and in the ileum were adapted to two dies low in thiamin and containing different percentages of urea nitrogen . The sheep were subjected to seven thiamin balance experiments, with continuous feeding and total collection of duodenal and ideal contents and feces for periods of 6 day each . Thiamin and dry matter were determined in aliquots of collected digesta and feces . Daily thiamin intake was always less than .3 mg, but average daily flow of thiamin into the duodenum was between 1.53 and 3.46 milligrams . Microbial net synthesis of thiamin in the forestomach system was between 1.44 and 3.23 mg/day, so 90 to 96% of thiamin entering the duodenum was of microbial origin . Disappearance of thiamin from the small intestines approximately equaled thiamin net synthesis in the forestomachs, indicating high absorption of microbially produced thiamin . In five experiments, thiamin balance in the large intestines was positive, but no measurements were made of thiamin breakdown within, and absorption from, the large intestines.

Mikrobiologiia, 1980 Nov-Dec, 49(6), 919 - 23
{Role of an exoprotease biosynthesis-stimulating microbial factor in Aspergillus kanagawaensis in the process of its growth and development}; Landau NS et al.; Morphofunctional changes were studied in the culture of Aspergillus kanagawaensis producing exoproteases; the changes accompanied an increase in the rate of biosynthesis of these enzymes in the presence of a stimulating factor produced by Aspergillus wentii . The germination of conidia and the formation of the secondary mycelium in A . kankagawaensis were delayed by 6--12 hours under the action of the stimulating factor . The monoculture of the fungus producing exoproteases is characterized by the formation of the colonial type of mycelium; however, the diffuse type of mycelium is observed in the presence of the stimulating factor, i . e . the maximal rate of the enzyme production correlates with the high degree of differentiation of the mycelium structural units.

Cancer Res, 1980 Nov, 40(11), 4329 - 30
Induction of Epstein-Barr virus antigens in human lymphoblastoid P3HR-1 cells with culture fluid of Fusobacterium nucleatum; Ito Y et al.; Epstein-Barr virus-associated early antigen and viral capsid antigen were efficiently induced in human lymphoblastoid P3HR-1 cells with culture fluid of Fusobacterium nucleatum, a member of the indigenous microbial flora of the human host . This finding may suggest a new approach to assess the possible role of the "cofactor(s)" in the etiology of Epstein-Barr virus-related diseases.

J Immunol, 1980 Nov, 125(5), 2069 - 75
Release of an endogenous pyrogen from guinea pig leukocytes: the role of T lymphocytes and correlation with suppression (desensitization) of delayed hypersensitivity; Atkins E et al.; The pathogenesis of fever in delayed hypersensitivity (DH) was studied in guinea pigs immunized with either ovalbumin or bovine gamma-globulin in complete Freund's adjuvant . In vitro incubation of sensitized lymphocytes with the specific antigen used for immunization resulted in the elaboration of a lymphokine-like factor that activated either monocytes or neutrophils to release endogenous pyrogen (EP), the protein that causes fever . Specifically sensitized T cells appeared to be responsible for release of this EP-inducing factor . Desensitization of the dermal DH response to antigen was produced by several large injections of antigen and was associated with a reduced capacity of lymphocytes from such animals to activate phagocytic cells to release EP . This may explain the reduced fever (pyrogenic tolerance) that occurs when repeated injections of antigen are given to sensitized animals . Fever and the dermal response to DH seem to be closely linked reactions that have evolved to defend the host against invading pathogens . In both reactions, phagocytic cells appear to be activated by lymphokines derived from T lymphocytes specifically responding to microbial antigens.

J Antibiot (Tokyo), 1980 Oct, 33(10), 1158 - 66
Microbial conversion of anthracyclinones to daunomycin by blocked mutants of Streptomyces coeruleorubidus; Yoshimoto A et al.; Baumycin-negative mutants of Streptomyces coeruleorubidus ME130-A4 do not convert daunomycinone to daunomycin and baumycins . They biosynthesize daunomycin from aklavinone and epsilon-rhodomycinone, indicating the glycosidation of the aglycone before the synthesis of daunomycinone . The biosynthetic pathway from epsilon-rhodomycinone to daunomycin was further confirmed by studying the bioconversion of anthracyclinones and anthracyclines, which are presumed to be intermediates.

J Antibiot (Tokyo), 1980 Oct, 33(10), 1150 - 7
Microbial conversion of epsilon-pyrromycinone and epsilon-isorhodomycinone to 1-hydroxy-13-dihydrodaunomcyin and N-formyl-1-hydroxy-13-dihydrodaunomycin and their bioactivities; Yoshimoto A et al.; New anthracycline antibiotics, 1-hydroxy-13-dihydrodaunomycin and N-formyl-1-hydroxy-13-dihydrodaunomycin were biosynthesized by a blocked mutant of Streptomyces coeruleorubidus ME130-A4 from epsilon-pyrromycinone or epsilon-isorhodomycinone.

Am J Public Health, 1980 Oct, 70(10), 1108 - 10
Identifying biohazards in university research; Dreesen DW; University and college biosafety programs are usually modeled after those of the National Institutes of Health, concentrating entirely on microbial agents . The University of Georgia has expanded its program to include six specific types of biohazards: 1) recombinant DNA; 2) human pathogens; 3) oncogenic viruses; 4) cell cultures; 5) venomous vertebrates and invertebrates; and 6) plant and animal pathogens and the movement into the state of non-indigenous plants and animals . Biohazard questionnaires and checklists are used to assure total involvement and efficient implementation.

Appl Environ Microbiol, 1980 Oct, 40(4), 852 - 3
Combined membrane filtration-electrochemical microbial detection method; Wilkins JR et al.; The electrochemical method was used successfully to detect Escherichia coli cells retained on membrane filters . Preliminary results suggest that the combined technique could be used to predict the microbial loading of water samples.

Transfusion, 1980 Sep-Oct, 20(5), 559 - 62
A model for the study of granulocyte concentrate preservation; Lane TA et al.; An inexpensive model system for the study of granulocyte concentrate preservation has been evaluated . Concentrates were collected from the same donors within one hour by manual and automated pheresis techniques . In both types of concentrates, phagocytosis, respiratory burst, microbial killing and cell migration were normal within four hours of collection . Granulocyte function defects induced by 24- to 48-hour storage were similar in both types of concentrates; consequently, granulocyte concentrates collected as described here should serve as a useful model for the investigation of granulocyte concentrate preservation.

Orig Life, 1980 Sep, 10(3), 215 - 22
Biological limits of temperature and pressure; Morita RY; Most biologists do not take into account that the greatest portion of today's biosphere is in the realm of environmental extremes, most of it being cold and under pressure . Since bacteria have the ability to adapt to environmental extremes, a close examination for the presence and/or growth of bacteria at high and low temperatures, low temperature and reduced pressure (less than 1 atm), low temperature and increased hydrostatic pressure should be made . it is also within the realm of possibility that life may have arisen in an environmental extreme on the primordial earth and then evolved over time to live under moderate temperatures and 1 atm . Microbial life has been demonstrated at temperatures slightly greater than 90 degrees C, below 0 degrees C, at hydrostatic pressures of 1100 atm, and possibly at cold temperatures in the atmosphere (less than 1 atm) . Laboratory experiments have shown that certain enzyme reactions can occur above 100 degrees C under hydrostatic pressure, at -26 degrees C and at 5 degrees C under hydrostatic pressure.

Mikrobiologiia, 1980 Sep-Oct, 49(5), 740 - 5
{Lipid composition of certain predatory species of fungi of the genus Arthrobotrys}; Radzhabova AA et al.; The aim of this work was to study the effect of the composition of the medium on the biosynthetic activity of fungi belonging to the genus Arthrobotrys, the content of different lipid fractions in them, and their fatty acid composition . The following fractions typical of the majority of microbial species were found in the lipid composition of these predaceous fungi: phospholipids, monoglycerides, diglycerides, sterols, free fatty acids, and triglycerides . The fungi were capable of accumulating from 2.4 to 13.2% of lipids in the mycelium . The elevated synthesis of lipids was observed in Arthrobotrys longa 14 and A . musiformis 123 in the modified Meise medium and in wort . The content of lipids in the mycelium was low and the fractions of phospholipids and sterols prevailed upon the growth in chemically defined media . The content of triglycerides was high when the fungi grew in the Meise medium and wort . The fatty acid composition of lipids was identical in all of the studied cultures . The principal saturated fatty acids were myristic, palmitic and stearic . Among unsaturated fatty acids, a high content of oleic and linoleic acids was registered.

Mikrobiologiia, 1980 Sep-Oct, 49(5), 794 - 803
{Kinetics of continuous growth of a culture of Debaryomyces formicarius in an incubator and continuous-flow columns with a solid phase}; Panikov NS et al.; Continuous growth of the yeast Debaryomyces formicarius was comparatively studied in two types of open systems, viz, chemostat and a continuous-flow column packed with sand . The dynamics of concentrations of growth substrates and microbial biomass was assayed in the column and in the column eluate in the conditions of carbon and nitrogen limitation . A kinetic model for microbial growth in the continuous-flow column is proposed; the model is based on the assumption that the microbial population contains free and immobilized cells which differ sharply in their metabolic activity . Principal differences in the kinetics of microbial growth in continuous-flow columns as compared to that in chemostat are discussed.

Appl Environ Microbiol, 1980 Sep, 40(3), 458 - 61
Multichannel photometer-nephelometer; Keilmann F et al.; We describe an instrument for monitoring either transmitted or scattered light intensity, or both, simultaneously on up to eight channels . The use of a laser light source (at 632.8-nm wavelength) provides high accuracy and dynamic range: optical density can be measured from 0.0004 up to 6, and a scattered light fraction down to 10(-6) can be resolved . Built-in thermostat and magnetic stirrers allow precise monitoring of aqueous microbial growth over a practical range of 4 orders of magnitude of cell concentration.

Zentralbl Bakteriol Mikrobiol Hyg {B}, 1980 Sep, 171(4-5), 466 - 71
{Microbial settlement of paint- and building-materials in the sphere of drinking water . 5 . Communication: Macrocolonies on the cement mortar lining in a water main (author's transl)}; Schoenen D; It is reported a microbial growth in form of macrocolonies on a cement mortar line in a potable water main . Simultaneously an increase of bacterial content in the water could be observed . The bacterial content could be reduced by chlorination, but the microbial growth on the surface of the lining was not suppressed . Macrocolonies could be observed the same as before at the last inspection 6 1/2 years after opening of the main.

Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci, 1980 Aug 11, 290(1040), 387 - 94
Biologically active peptides: prospects for drug development; Hughes J; Biologically active peptides aree typified by their unbiquity of distribution, their high receptor affinity and an almost infinite diversity of structure . For these reasons, considerable effort is now being expended to elucidate the possible role of peptides in brain function . This effort has been stimulated by the discovery of a number of new endogenous peptides, such as the enkephalins, endorphins, vasoactive intestinal peptide and neurotensin . At present, there is no clearly defined role for these peptides, although they may form an important basis for the chemical coding of various brain functions, including pain, mood and memory . At present, the potential for drug development of peptide agonists remains in fairly circumscribed areas such as analgesia, pituitary hormone control, and gastrointestinal motor and secretory control . Peptide antagonists may provide a vast field for future development, although only one area, that of antifertility drugs based on LHRH antagonists, shows any promise of immediate success . Industrial research approaches to new peptide agonists and antagonists mainly rely at present on rational drug design through structural analogies . Other fruitful approaches to be considered are the screening of natural microbial and plant products and the possible application of genetic engineering techniques.

Hautarzt, 1980 Aug, 31(8), 428 - 32
{Netherton syndrome: weakened immunity, generalized verrucosis and carcinogenesis}; Hintner H et al.; Two patients with Netherton's syndrome are presented who, in addition to the classical triad of trichorrhexis invaginata, ichthyosis linearis circumflexa and atopy, exhibit signs of reduced cellular immunity (negative skin tests to a battery of microbial antigens, impaired stimulation of lymphocytes with various mitogens and widespread viral warts resembling epidermodysplasia verruciformis) . One patient had a squamous cell carcinoma possibly arising from a viral wart . It is suggested that Netherton's syndrome is part of the group of immunodeficiency syndromes with atopy-like symptoms.

Ophthalmology, 1980 Aug, 87(8), 753 - 8
Management of inflammation in the cornea and conjunctiva; Leibowitz HM; The ability of the cornea to react to inflammatory stimuli is limited, and in most instances the polymorphonuclear leukocyte is primarily responsible for corneal damage . Of currently available drugs, corticosteroids are the most effective for the non-specific control of these inflammatory cells . Principles for obtaining maximal therapeutic effect from minimal amounts of the drug are presented . The use of corticosteroids in the treatment of a keratitis caused by various types of replicating microbial agents is discussed . The response to therapy of inflammatory processes in the conjunctiva seemingly differs from the response in the cornea . Suggestions are offered for corticosteroid use in conjunctivitis.

Clin Exp Immunol, 1980 Aug, 41(2), 225 - 36
Mechanisms of protective immunogenicity of microbial vaccines: effects of cyclophosphamide pretreatment in Venezuelan encephalitis, Q fever and tularaemia; Ascher MS et al.; Administration of high-dose (250 mg/kg) cyclophosphamide (CY) to guinea-pigs and mice 3 days prior to immunization with inactivated vaccine derived from Venezuelan encephalitis virus (VE), Coxiella burnetii and Francisella tularensis resulted in accentuated and prolonged delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) and in vitro cellular immunity (CMI) to specific antigen . Humoral antibody were either absent or significantly lower in CY-pretreated animals compared to immunized non-pretreated controls . CY pretreatments precluded protection in the VE virus model, suggesting that resistance is related to antibody . In the Q fever model, the protective immunogenicity of vaccine was preserved or increased by CY pretreatment suggesting that cell-mediated immunity is the important factor . In the tularaemia bacterial system, there was a complex effect of CY pretreatment on the low-grade protection afforded by killed vaccine against virulent infection . These findings suggest that the inability of killed vaccines to induce high-grade resistance against tularaemia and Q fever may be due in part to a suppressive B cell response which is eliminated by CY . These studies have given useful information on the relative significance of components of the specific immune response and may lead to an increased understanding of the mechanisms of action of vaccines and adjuvants.

J Antibiot (Tokyo), 1980 Aug, 33(8), 819 - 23
Microbial conversion of steffimycin and steffimycin B to 10-dihydrosteffimycin and 10-dihydrosteffimycin B; Wiley PF et al.; It has been shown that steffimycin (1) and steffmycin B (2) are reduced at the C-10 carbonyl by Actinoplanes utahensis, UC-5885 and Chaetomium sp., UC-4634, respectively . Using cell-free extracts of the latter organism, the optimum conversion time, pH, and enzyme concentration have been determined for the conversion of 2 to 4 . The biochemical conversion of 2 has been found to be TPNH linked.

J Bacteriol, 1980 Aug, 143(2), 742 - 6
Microcalorimetric study of Escherichia coli aerobic growth: theoretical aspects of growth on succinic acid; Dermoun Z et al.; Two methods of investigation were used to evaluate the heat quantity associated with anabolic processes (qan) during the aerobic growth of Escherichia coli in a minimal medium containing succinic acid as the sole energy and carbon source . The study of the contribution of biosynthetic reactions from succinic acid and ammonia were investigated by both methods . The two qan values obtained were in excellent agreement and were found to be significant . Thus it was demonstrated that the contribution of anabolism strongly influenced the quantity of heat associated with microbial aerobic growth . The qan calculated as above explained the experimental enthalpy change which was recently reported.

Aust Vet J, 1980 Aug, 56(8), 353 - 8
Inexpensive techniques for the production and maintenance of gnotobiotic piglets, calves and lambs; Makin TJ et al.; An inexpensive system was developed for the routine derivation and maintenance of gnotobiotic piglets, calves and lambs . Isolator chambers to house these animals were welded in the laboratory from flexible, clear polyvinylchloride film . The isolators consisted of either a simple, closed cylindrical chamber, or for the larger animals, a fibreglass-reinforced plastic (FRP) tub surmounted by a flexible film canopy . The isolators were adaptable for a variety of purposes and most components were interchangeable between isolators . The assembled isolators were sterilised with peracetic acid . Over 300 gnotobiotic piglets, 29 gnotobiotic calves and 18 gnotobiotic or specific pathogen free lambs have been reared successfully by these techniques . Six colostrum deprived foals and a litter of conventional puppies have been successfully maintained in microbial isolation in these isolators . The FRP tub base isolators also proved suitable for housing gnotobiotic weaner piglets . No viral or bacterial cross contamination was detected between isolators housing experimentally infected animals.

Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol, 1980 Jul, (7), 63 - 7
{Evaluation of pertussis vaccine toxicity by the paw edema test in mice}; Kvirinadze VV et al.; Experiments on randombred mice were made to find out the prospects of using the paw edema test to determine the toxicity characteristics of pertussis vaccines . In experiments with preparations of known toxicity, determined on the basis of LTD50 and the dynamics of the body weight of the animals, the results of the commonly accepted tests correlated well with the results of the paw edema test in mice . The paw edema test allowed to reveal the presence of "residual" toxicity in microbial suspension presented a "nontoxic" pertussis vaccine.

Z Lebensm Unters Forsch, 1980 Jul, 171(1), 28 - 34
Isolation and characterization of some proteinase inhibitors from Phaseolus vulgaris var . nanus; Gerstenberg H et al.; Six proteinase inhibitors have been isolated from a crude inhibitor preparation from Phaseolus vulgaris var . nanus (bush bean: Borlotto) by gel chromatography and ion exchange chromatography . The isoelectric points of the inhibitors are between 4.35 and 5.65 . The molecular weights of the inhibitors PVI-2, -3(1), -3(2), and -4 and between 8000 and 9500 . The C-terminal and N-terminal amino acid residues and the amino acid compositions of these four inhibitors are given . The inhibitors PVI-1, -2, -3(1), -3(2), -4, and 5(1) all inhibit trypsin and with the exception of PVI-3(1) also alpha-chymotrypsin . PVI-3(1) inhibit elastase . The inhibitor mixture, PVI-G, exhibits a weak inhibition of some microbial serine proteinases . Some other endopeptidases and exopeptidases tested are not inhibited . Crude inhibitor preparations from P . coccineus and Pisum sativum show the same behaviour.

Infect Immun, 1980 Jul, 29(1), 244 - 51
Induction of L-phase variants of Nocardia caviae within intact murine lungs; Beaman BL; The data presented show that cells of Nocardia caviae 112 were converted to cell wall-deficient microbial variants within the intact murine lung after intranasal administration . At the time that these L-phase variants were recovered in large numbers from the lung, there was a correspondingly enhanced inflammation leading to alveolar consolidation and animal death . During the peak of this response (at 1 week after infection), normal nocardial cells were neither isolated from nor seen within the lung . It is suggested that the conversion of these normal nocardial cells to their L-phase variant leads to this extensive pulmonary damage . Furthermore, the L-phase organisms appear to play an active role in this pathological effect since introduction of similar amounts of killed nocardial cells into the lungs of the mice failed to produce a similar response.

J Antibiot (Tokyo), 1980 Jul, 33(7), 705 - 10
Microbial transformations of natural antitumor agents . 13 . Conversions of 13-blocked anthracyclinones; Wu GS et al.; Microbial transformation experiments were performed using 13-ketone-blocked daunomycinone derivatives which were converted into the corresponding carminomycinone derivatives by microbial O-demethylation.

J Bacteriol, 1980 Jul, 143(1), 525 - 8
Heat evolution of microbial catabolism: effects of monooxygenases; Anderson JJ et al.; Heat evolved during microbial oxidation, expressed as a fraction of total energy available from each compound, was increased by monooxygenase participation . It was less for growth substrate catabolites than for their isomers.

Am J Obstet Gynecol, 1980 Jul 1, 137(5), 600 - 3
Psychosexual functioning in symptomatic and asymptomatic women with and without signs of vaginitis; McGuire LS et al.; Women with symptoms of vaginitis, but no microbial etiology for their condition (the experimental group) were compared to women with symptoms and abnormal findings on examination, women with no symptoms and abnormal findings on examination, and women with no symptoms and normal findings on examination . Comparison was on a variety of measures of personality, marital satisfaction, and sexual function . All women were found to have normal personality structure as measured by the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) . However, the experimental group differed from the others in their objective sexual function, subjective level of enjoyment, and the extent to which they were affected by their vaginal symptoms.

Neurology, 1980 Jul, 30(7 Pt 2), 99 - 105
Multiple sclerosis: evidence for immunopathogenesis; Lisak RP; I have attempted to review the evidence that one or more immunopathologic mechanisms are responsible for the clinical and pathologic findings in multiple sclerosis (MS) . I believe that there is considerable evidence for an immunopathogenesis of MS, but it is not clear what type or types of reactions are involved or against which autoantigen, neoantigen, or microbial antigen the reaction is directed . In addition, there is growing evidence that there are abnormalities in immunologic control mechanisms in patients with MS, although whether these changes are a cause or a result of the disease is not clear.

Z Naturforsch {C}, 1980 Jul-Aug, 35(7-8), 544 - 50
Aminoacylase from Aspergillus oryzae . Comparison with the pig kidney enzyme; Gentzen I et al.; Aminoacylase (EC 3.5.1.14) from Aspergillus oryzae was purified from a commercially available crude material by heat treatment, precipitation by polyethyleneimine and ammoniumsulfate, gel chromatography and preparative disc-gel-electrophoresis . The purified product was homogenous as judged by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis . SDS-gel electrophoresis, polyacrylamide-gel-gradient electrohoresis, gel chromatography and amino acid analysis demonstrated the enzyme to be composed of two subunits with Mr of 36 600 . The kinetic properties of the enzyme were studied with chloracetyl derivatives of alanine, phenylalanine, methionine, leucine, norleucine and tryptophan . The pH optimum of the acylase activity with chloroacetyl-alanine as substrate is at pH 8.5 . Acyl derivatives of hydrophobic amino acids are preferred substrates . The enzyme has no dipeptidase activity . Aminoacylase is not inhibited by SH-blocking agents and no SH-groups could be detected with Ellman's reagent in the native and denatured enzyme . The enzyme activity is insensitive to phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride and N-alpha-p-tosyl-L-lysine chloromethyl ketone . The microbial acylase is zince metallo enzyme . Mental chelating agents are strong inhibitors; it is further inhibited by Cd2+, Mn2+ and activated by Co2+ . The properties of pig kidney and Aspergillus acylase are compared.

Equine Vet J, 1980 Jul, 12(3), 118 - 26
Pathological observations on an outbreak of paralysis in broodmares; Platt H et al.; A description is given of the pathological changes present in 8 mares which died or were euthanased in the course of an outbreak of paralysis on a Thoroughbred studfarm . In all cases the principal changes were in the central nervous system (CNS) and consisted of a severe and widespread vaculitis in the brain, cord, sheaths of nerves, capsules of ganglia and occasionally elsewhere in the body . Associated with the damage to vessel walls there was haemorrhage and exudation of plasma into the perivascular tissues . Involvement of neurones was minimal and no neuronophagia was present . Six cases had malacic foci in the brain, related to thrombosis of local arteries . Acinar necrosis in the mammary gland was present in one case . Examinations of the CNS and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) for the presence of equid herpesvirus 1 (EHV1) or other microbial agents proved negative but EHV1 was isolated from the spleen of one mare and from the pharyngeal mucos membrane in another . The pathogenesis of this type of paralysis is discussed.

Biometrics, 1980 Jun, 36(2), 317 - 21
On modelling microbial infections; Morgan BJ et al.; Several models for the course of microbial infections during the incubation period are examined . Each model fits sore throat incubation data very well . Together with the lack of precision of the resulting parameter estimates, this suggests that incubation data alone are insufficient for elucidating the finer details of the development of diseases.

Mutat Res, 1980 Jun, 78(2), 177 - 91
Sister-chromatid exchanges and chromosomal aberrations in cultured Chinese hamster cells treated with pesticides positive in microbial reversion assays; Tezuka H et al.; The induction of sister-chromatid exchanges (SCEs), chromosomal aberrations and polyploids was investigated in cultured Chinese hamster cells treated with pesticides or a related compound positive in microbial reversion assays . The chemicals tested were captan, captafol, 1,2-dibromoethane (EDB), 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane (DBCP), 5-nitro-1-naphrhonitrile (NNN), p-dimethylaminobenzenediazo sodium sulfonate (DAPA), 2-hydrazinoethanol (HEH), vamidothion, dichlorovos (DDVP), N-nitroso-ethylenethiourea (N-nitroso-ETU), and 2,4-dinitrophenyl thiocyanate (NBT) . A significant and dose-dependent increase in the frequency of SCEs and chromosomal aberrations was observed in the cell cultures treated with captan, captafol, EDB, DBCP, HEH, DDVP, vamidothion, DAPA or N-nitroso-ETU or NBT produced a significant increase in the frequency of polyploid cells, whereas the other agents did not . When compared with results from microbial reversion assays, a close correlation was observed between the ability to induce SCEs or chromosomal aberrations and the mutagenic potency in bacteria (r:0.71-0.84).

Scand J Dent Res, 1980 Jun, 88(3), 187 - 92
Reactions of the dental pulp to microbial provocation of calcium hydroxide treated dentin; Bergenholtz G et al.; The purpose of the present study was to determine whether treatment of dentin with calcium hydroxide reduces pulp irritation caused by microbial products . The experiment was carried out in three young monkeys . Cavities were prepared on the buccal tooth surface deep into dentin of 62 teeth . Calcium hydroxyde mixed with distilled water was placed in one group of cavities . A set of control cavities received treatment with saline soaked filter-paper discs . The calcium hydroxide dressing and the saline discs were separated from the oral cavity for a period of 14 or 60 d by a Teflon disc and a layer of zinc oxide-eugenol cement . At the end of these periods the content of each cavity was removed and substituted by lyophilized material from cultivated plaque bacteria . After 3 d of exposure the monkeys were killed and the teeth subjected to histologic treatment . Assessments made in the light microscope revealed that pulps subjacent to calcium hydroxide-treated dentin in the majority of cases showed no or only slight infiltrates of inflammatory cells . In controls, 13 out of 22 pulps showed severe inflammatory cell infiltrates or total pulp tissue necrosis . It was concluded that treatment of dentin with calcium hydroxide may reduce the possibility for bacterial components to cause pulp tissue damage.

Schweiz Med Wochenschr, 1980 May 31, 110(22), 865 - 7
{Ischemic disorders of the large intestinal wall . Ischemic colitis and rectitis secondary to intrinsic vascular disorders}; Saegesser F et al.; Ischaemic diseases of the large intestinal wall is a characteristic syndrome caused by vascular insufficiency of varying degrees . The ischaemia results from haemodynamic disturbances and often arises in spite of the patency of the vessels . The mucosa of the intestine is the tissue layer that is most vulnerable to ischaemia . Ischaemia of the colon occurs in the presence of a microbial flora that is often highly pathogenic, and hence the lesions rapidly become infected . For this reason the inflammatory features of the disease tend to conceal its vascular origin and ischaemic colitis has often been confused with other infectious, inflammatory, ulcero-haemorrhagic disorders of the large intestine . Although the syndrome may occur in any patient, it is much more common in elderly subjects with a history of arteriesclerosis and cardiac disease . Two main varieties can be identified, depending on the extent of the vascular insufficiency . In the first, the lesion may heal spontaneously or evolve towards fibrous strictures of the colonic wall; in the second, gangrenous necrosis of the colon or rectum may develope, the clinical picture of which has more in common with an "acute abdomen' than with ulcerative disease of the colon.

Hosp Pharm, 1980 Jun, 15(6), 305 - 10
Evaluation of two sterility testing methods for intravenous admixtures; Condella F et al.; The Addi-Chek Quality Control System (Millipore Corporation) and Ivex-2 Filterset (Abbott Laboratories) were evaluated to determine their effectiveness, applicability, and cost as part of a pharmacy quality-control program . Each method was tested using 50 solutions, 25 of which had been contaminated by inoculation with one of five micro-organisms; the other 25 solutions were used as controls . Aseptic technique was used, and procedures were carried out in a laminar air flow hood . Contaminated solutions were blinded from the person performing the tests . Addi-Chek detected contamination in all the inoculated solutions and in three of the uninoculated solutions . The latter may have been a result of adventitious contamination during the testing procedure . Ivex-2 detected contamination in 24 of the 25 inoculated solutions; no other contamination was found . The effectiveness of the methods in detecting low-level microbial contamination appears comparable . Both methods have been shown to be useful in the pharmacy setting, but Ivex-2 could be used to test for contamination when used as an in-line filter at the patient level . Ivex-2 is less expensive and warrants further evaluation in monitoring for microbial contamination during preparation and administration of intravenous solutions.

Basic Res Cardiol, 1980 May-Jun, 75(3), 413 - 7
Chemistry and biochemistry of vanadium; Meisch HU et al.; The transition metal vanadium is considered to be essential for plants and animals . In order to understand its physiological function, some important chemical properties of V are reviewed, e.g . its redox activity and the tendency of V3+, VO2+, and VO3- ions to form chelates with numerous ligands . A survey of the occurrence and distribution of kV in geochemistry and in living organisms is followed by a consideration of the V influence on several metabolic events such as microbial nitrogen metabolism, chlorophyll biosynthesis, and activation or inhibition of regulatory enzymes.

Vestn Khir Im I I Grek, 1980 May, 124(5), 74 - 80
{Etiology, clinical picture, and diagnosis of postoperative peritonitis in rectal cancer}; Zybina MA et al.; Under analysis were 40 case histories and records of dissections of patients dead of diffuse peritonitis after operations for rectum cancer . It was established that in 1/3 of observations technical defects were responsible for peritonitis . Measures for the prevention of peritonitis are proposed when infection in the abdominal cavity is revealed during operation . An atypical course of peritonitis, not pronounced signs of pathological abdominal cavity results in diagnostic errors . Diagnosis of cardiovascular insufficiency is established in most cases . Peritonitis in patients treated with the use of preoperative irradiation is characterized by the inert course without leukocytosis in many cases . The main efforts should be directed to prophylaxis, i . e . an improvement of the operation technique, struggle against hospital infections, suppression of the microbial flora in the abdominal cavity which appears due to technical errors during surgery.

Br J Nutr, 1980 May, 43(3), 503 - 14
A simple procedure using 35S incorporation of the measurement of microbial and undegraded food protein in ruminant digesta; Mathers JC et al.; 1 . A simple procedure using 35S incorporation for the measurement of microbial protein in absomasal or duodenal digesta of ruminants was developed and tested . 2 . Microbial protein synthesized in the rumen was labelled with 35S by intraruminal infusion of 35SO4 and a microbial fraction was isolated by differential centrifugation . 3 . 35S not bound by micro-organisms and present as inorganic 35S in whole digesta and in microbial fractions was oxidized to 35SO4 and the samples were brought into solution by acid-hydrolysis . 35SO4 was precipitated as Ba35SO4 . 4 . The proportion of microbial non-ammonia-nitrogen (NAN) in digesta NAN was determined as 35S: NAN (digesta) divided by 35S: NAN (microbial) . 5 . In sheep offered grass nuts at maintenance level of feeding, 48% of NAN flowing through the abomasum was of microbial origin . NAN flow to the small intestine was estimated using chronic oxide as a marker and it was calculated that 49% of the grass N was degraded in the rumen.

Ophthalmology, 1980 May, 87(5), 365 - 80
The pathology of soft contact lens spoilage; Tripathi RC et al.; Our study of a random series of more than 300 spoiled soft contact lenses reveals that virtually all lenses currently in use for daily or extended wear are subject to deterioration due to extraneous deposits, physical and chemical changes in the lens material, and microbial invasion . Common causes include ocular secretions, finger dirt and cosmetics, disinfecting and cleansing techniques, environmental factors, manufacturing defects and polymer impurities, mechanical stress and breakage, as well as aging and decay of the lens material . Mucoprotein-lipid deposits, with or without calcium, and calcareous deposits constitute the major forms of lens spoilage . Removal of encrusted deposits leaves surface irregularities and matrix defects which facilitate secondary spoilage including microbial invasion, and such lenses should be discarded . As virtually no soft lens material currently in use is "safe" for extended wear, the practitioner must carefully evaluated and follow his patients to identify those at risk of lens failure and spoilage complications . To eliminate spoilage, new lens materials and improved manufacturing techniques are needed . In the interim, for many patients, an inexpensive disposable soft lens which can be easily replaced, perhaps weekly or bi-weekly, may be the answer.

Appl Environ Microbiol, 1980 May, 39(5), 962 - 6
Microbial acetyl conjugation of T-2 toxin and its derivatives; Yoshizawa T et al.; The acetyl conjugation of T-2 toxin and its derivatives, the 12,13-epoxytrichothecene mycotoxins, was studied by using mycelia of trichothecene-producing strains of Fusarium graminearum, F . nivale, Calonectria nivalis, and F . sporotrichoides, T-2 toxin was efficiently converted into acetyl T-2 toxin by all strains except a T-2 toxin-producing strain of F . sporotrichoides, which hydrolyzed the substrate to HT-2-toxin and neosolaniol . HT-2 toxin was conjugated to 3-acetyl HT-2 toxin as an only product by mycelia of F . graminearum and C . nivalis, but was also resistant to conjugation by both F . nivale and F . sporotrichoides . Neosolaniol was also biotransformed selectively into 3-acetyl neosolaniol by F . graminearum . However, 3-acetyl HT-2 toxin was not acetylated by any of the strains under the conditions employed, but was hydrolyzed to HT-2 toxin by F . graminearum and F . nivale . This is the first report on the biological 3 alpha-O-acetyl conjugation of T-2 toxin and its derivatives.

J Anim Sci, 1980 May, 50(5), 937 - 44
Nutrition of the weaned holstein calf . I . Effect of dietary protein level on rumen metabolism; Veira DM et al.; The effect of various dietary crude protein (CP) levels on rumen metabolism was studied with four Holstein calves (avg wt, 146 kg) fitted with ruminal and abomasal cannulae and fed four corn-based diets supplemented with 0, 5, 10 and 15% soybean meal (SBM) . The diets contained 10.2, 12.2, 14.1 and 16.1% CP . Apparent rumen digestion of dry matter (DM), organic matter (OM) and starch averaged 43.9, 48.0 and 68.4%, respectively; none of these was affected by diet (P greater than .05) . There was a linear increase in abomasal flow of ammonia nitrogen (N) (P less than .01) and residual N (P less than .05) as SBM increased in the diet . There was no effect of diet on abomasal flow of bacgerial N . Abomasal flow of nonammonia N (g/100 g DM intake) increased in a linear manner (P less than .05) from 1.75 at 10.2% CP to 2.07 at 16.1% CP . When protein was greater than 12% of the diet, there was evidence of wastage of protein in the rumen . Bacterial synthesis in the rumen averaged 2.0 g/100 g organic matter apparently digested . There was no apparent effect of rumen ammonia concentration on rate of microbial synthesis in spite of the low levels (less than 5 mg N/100 ml) observed with the low CP diets . There was a linear increase in serum urea levels before and after feeding as dietary CP increased (P less than .001) . Volatile fatty acid concentration in the rumen, turnover rate of the fluid phase in the rumen and rumen volume were all unaffected by changes in dietary protein (P greater than .05).

Am J Hosp Pharm, 1980 May, 37(5), 668 - 72
Qaulity-control plan for intravenous admixture programs . II: Validation of operator technique; Morris BG et al.; A plan for the validation of aseptic-operator technique in i.v . admixture programs and two test methods for evaluating the plan are proposed . After a new operator has been trained, the plan involves qualification of the operator through the preparation of statistically valid samples, to be followed by the random selection of samples for in-process monitoring . To test the plan, trypticase soy broth transfers were used in one hospital and Addi-Chek (Millipore Corp.) filtrations were used in another . The participants, all trained operators, initially prepared 40 test samples as a validation step . The finding of no microbial growth in these test samples permitted continuation into the monitoring phase, during which test samples were prepared randomly, one test sample out of every 25 i.v . admixtures prepared for patient use . All samples were negative for microbial growth, indicating that the operators maintained aseptic technique . These findings give evidence that the proposed testing plan is valid . The authors propose the plan as a phase of a quality control program, based on valid statistical principles, to give assurance that i.v . room operators are qualified to prepare sterile parenteral medications.

Ann Dermatol Venereol, 1980 May, 107(5), 397 - 408
{Eczematoid dermo-epidermitis}; Barriere H et al.; A methodic study of 50 cases, had to the discussion of a real clinical well established entity . The lesions start from an initial site, located on the inferior limbs in 2/3rd of the cases; then within a variable period of time extend larger and larger by proliferating in numerous patches . These lesions present as polymorphic, erythemato-squamous or oozing . They often evolve towards recurrence . The disease is more frequently encountered among 50-year-old men . Several factors contribute to the onset of the lesions: chronic alcoholism--lack of sanitary conditions--microbial background--stasis--overweight . A disturbed system of cutaneous protection and a lack of immune defences versus an antigen, probably a bacteria, are at the origin of the pathogenesis of these disorders . Considering the treatment, we wish to underline the benefit of local coal tar applications.

Clin Exp Immunol, 1980 May, 40(2), 327 - 36
An in vitro assessment of cellular and humoral immune function in pulmonary tuberculosis: correction of defective neutrophil motility by ascorbate, levamisole, metoprolol and propranolol; Gatner EM et al.; Fifty-six tuberculosis patients and twenty-eight control subjects were evaluated in a comprehensive investigation of cellular and humoral immune function in pulmonary TB . The patient group showed significantly higher levels of secretory IgA and serum IgG, IgA and IgM than did the control group but 7% of patients displayed a selective secretory IgA deficiency . Levels of alpha-1-antitrypsin were also significantly higher in the patient group . There were no significant differences in levels of total haemolytic complement, C'3 and C'4 . In moderate to moderately advanced TB patients there were no significant differences in T and B cell numbers nor in mitogen-induced lymphocyte transformation and lymphokine production, when compared with the control group . The range of PPD-induced lymphocyte transformation and lymphokine production levels encountered was similar in both groups although certain patients did not respond to the PPD antigen . Neutrophils from TB patients showed increased random motility in vitro but eight out of ten patients showed impaired directed motility (chemotaxis) . Phagocytic and anti-microbial functions were normal in the patient group . The neutrophil chemotactic defect was reversible and could be corrected in vitro when the patients' cells were treated with sodium and calcium ascorbate, levamisole, metoprolol and propranolol.

J Allergy Clin Immunol, 1980 May, 65(5), 376 - 80
Lymphocyte function in relapsed pulmonary blastomycosis; Sohnle PG et al.; Lymphocyte function was studied in two patients with multiple relapses of pulmonary blastomycosis following antifungal therapy . Neither patient was anergic to routine delayed hypersensitivity skin testing with common antigens . Both had normal in vitro lymphocyte transformation responses to standard mitogens and common microbial antigens . The ability of lymphocytes from the two patients to respond to antigens of the infecting organism was evaluated using a yeast phase Blastomyces dermatitidis extract in tests of in vitro lymphocyte function . Both patients demonstrated positive responses to this extract in standard assays of two in vitro parameters of lymphocyte function, lymphocyte transformation, and lymphokine production . Therefore if an immunologic defect is responsible for the repeated relapses of treated pulmonary blastomycosis in these two patients, it apparently is not one of deficient lymphocyte responsiveness against the infecting organism, as has been found using similar techniques in patients with disseminated deep infections caused by other fungal organisms.

J Gen Microbiol, 1980 Apr, 117(2), 393 - 403
Distribution and abundance of bacteria in the gut of a soil-feeding termite Procutiermes aburiensis (Termitidae, Termitinae); Bignell DE et al.; The alimentary canal of a representative species of soil-feeding termite was examined for associations with bacteria . Enumerations made in the principal regions of the intestine by direct observation and expressed for comparative purposes as total microbial standing crop showed a net three- to fourfold increase between the foregut (crop) and rectum . Filamentous organisms, putatively actinomycetes, contributed significantly to the flora in most regions of the gut and were more abundant, relative to non-filamentous forms, than in freshly ingested soil . Transmission and scanning electron microscopy of the gut wall showed that the actinomycetes formed novel associations with the host in the mesenteron, mixed segment and colon . Non-filamentous organisms, chiefly rods, colonized the walls of the first proctodaeal segment and the colon, in addition to filaments, and were present in large numbers in the contents of the third proctodaeal segment.

Surg Gynecol Obstet, 1980 Apr, 150(4), 507 - 12
Microbial penetration of surgical gown materials; Schwartz JT et al.; In-use studies of microbial penetration of four surgical gowns were carried out . A laboratory test was developed which will dependably predict in-use performance . The test method, using trypticase soy broth containing 10(8)organisms per milliliter and placement of materials on blood agar, yielded results closely approximating findings in use . This method is recommended . It was shown that 140 thread count cloth fails to act as a microbial barrier and is, therefore, unacceptable as a surgical barrier material . Spunbonded olefin, Tyvek 1444A, was shown to be an effective barrier in use but had defects which reduced its barrier capabilities . Spunlaced wood pulp-polyester fabric, Fabric 450, and treated 270 plus pima cotton, Liquashield, were found to be effective barriers in both laboratory and in-use testing . Treated 270 plus pima cotton loses its ability to act as a barrier after 100 recyclings and must then be removed from use in the operating room . Cost factors were examined and found to be greatly in favor of the reusable fabric.

Methods Find Exp Clin Pharmacol, 1980 Apr, 2(2), 61 - 4
Radioimmunoassay of tobramycin compared to microbial methods; Vangdal M et al.; A commercial radioimmunoassay (RIA) for tobramycin was compared with microbial methods by determining the concentrations of known standards prepared with pooled human serum . The correlation coefficients were r=0.94 for the RIA method and an agar diffusion procedure using commercial paper disk standard, and r=o.95 for a standard agar well diffusion procedure . The agar well method tended to overestimate the real concentrations.

Rev Ig Bacteriol Virusol Parazitol Epidemiol Pneumoftiziol Bacteriol Virusol Parazitol Epidemiol, 1980 Apr-Jun, 25(2), 65 - 72
{Current aspects of the physiopathology of the infectious process . II . Cybernetic elements in the pathogenetic structure of infectious diseases}; Dragomirescu M et al.; The authors discuss the applicability of general cybernetic principles (the theory of systems and self-regulated mechanisms based on inversed connections) to the pathophysiologic structure of infections . With reference to concrete examples they outline the following elements: the appartenance of the infectious process to the notion of system (as conceived in the theory of systems), the previsible character of the functional potential of the structured system in the components of infection, and the sequental correspondence between system dynamics and the dynamics of the infectious process . Starting from the mechanism of action of the main microbial toxins, the aptitude of the latter to act upon the functional code of the macroorganism, altering the cellular and supracellular self-regulated biosystems, is demonstrated . Finally, the practical implications of assimilating cybernetic processes in the pathophysiology of infectious diseases are analyzed.

Appl Environ Microbiol, 1980 Apr, 39(4), 932 - 3
Virulence of cloned variants of Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus; Andrews RE Jr et al.; The relative virulence of five different genotypic variants of Autographa californica nuclear polyhedrosis virus was tested by determining the 50% lethal dose of occluded virus for larvae of Trichoplusia ni . The 50% lethal dose values of uncloned virus and the five cloned genotypic variants ranged between 10 and 21 polyhedra per larva, and no statistically significant differences were observed . Cloning has therefore neither enhanced nor decreased the virulence of this potential microbial pesticide.

Clin Chem, 1980 Apr, 26(5), 613 - 7
Fluorometric and colorimetric enzymic determination of triglycerides (triacylglycerols) in serum; Winartasaputra H et al.; We describe two fully enzymic methods, fluorometric and colorimetric, for determination of triglycerides (triacylglycerols) in serum . Samples are incubated with microbial lipase for 10 min, and the glycerol released from the triglycerides is oxidized by NAD+ in the presence of glycerol dehydrogenase . In the fluorometric method, the resulting NADH is in turn oxidized by resazurin as catalyzed by diaphorase to form resorufin, a highly fluorescent compound . In the colorimetric method, the NADH is oxidized by coupling with a tetrazolium salt/diaphorase system to form formazan, a highly colored compound . Calibration curves, constructed by plotting change in fluorescence or absorbance vs concentration of triglycerides, were linear up to 6 and 5 g of triglycerides per liter of serum for the fluorometric and colorimetric methods, respectively . The assays require only 5 and 15 microL of serum for fluorometry and colorimetry, respectively . The CV was 0.59% for the fluorometric method, 0.91% for the colorimetric procedure . The time for analysis for either method is less than 15 min . The results correlate well with those obtained by the Dow Diagnostic Kit method, a colorimetric method in which glycerol kinase and glycerol-1-phosphate dehydrogenase form NADH from ATP and NAD+ in the presence of glycerol and glycerol 1-phosphate.

Lab Anim Sci, 1980 Apr, 30(2 Pt 2), 339 - 51
Control of microbial contamination in the use of laboratory rodents; Thibert P; Historically, laboratory rodents have been used in preference to other animal species for biomedical research . Study disruptions and invalidations often have occurred due to microbial contaminants inherent to laboratory rodents . Today, many commercial suppliers and research institutions are controlling a variety of infectious diseases among laboratory rodents by careful design of animal facilities, by adaptation of managerial techniques employing precise operational policies coupled with careful supervision and attention to detail and the use of various diagnostic programs . The continued evolution of epidemiological practices, environment control systems, sophistication of barrier-sustained operations, preventative medicine and sanitation techniques, complemented by an improvement in veterinary diagnostic programs for disease surveillance further minimize microbial contamination of laboratory rodents . Such measures contribute to the fulfillment of various legislative requirements concerned with the quality of animals for biomedical research.

Mutat Res, 1980 Apr, 74(2), 77 - 93
A review of the coordinated research effort on the comparison of test systems for the detection of mutagenic effects, sponsored by the E.E.C; Adler ID; Under the Environmental Research Programme of the Commission of the European Communities a coordinated comparative test programme was started to assess the mutagenic effects of chemicals in as many different assay systems as possible . A preliminary report is given on the results for 5 compounds selected by the Contact Group "Genetic Effects of Chemicals" . 11 laboratories contributed data from tests in their expertise . The compounds were methyl methanesulfonate (MMS), N-nitrosodiethylamine (DEN), mitomycin C (MC), procarbazine (Natulan) and atrazine . The results of testing these 5 compounds in more than 20 test systems are still incomplete but some observations can be made at this time . MMS has been shown to be mutagenic in every system used in this collaborative effort which is not surprising in view of the fact that MMS is a widely used reference mutagen that does not require metabolic activation . Among the indirect mutagens which were tested, MC has been shown to be mutagenic with almost every system which has been applied . DEN which requires microsomal activation gave positive results in most submammalian systems as well as in mammalian cells in culture when the S9 fraction of liver homogenate was added . However, in whole mammals most results were negative . One study suggests that the difference in the results with DEN may be due to the short biological half-life of the mutagenically active metabolite . Procarbazine was negative in the microbial tests but gave a positive response in mammalian cells in culture, in Drosophila and in mammals . Atrazine has only been subjected to a limited amount of testing but the results indicate that plant metabolic activation is required in vitro, and that activation to a mutagenic metabolite also occurs in mammals independent from liver enzymes.

Environ Health Perspect, 1980 Apr, 35, 83 - 8
Injury of respiratory epithelium; Collier AM; The large surface area provided by the respiratory tract epithelium of humans for exposure to microbial agents and toxic substances in the environment makes this organ system very vulnerable but a good early indicator of adverse health effects . However, the complexity of pulmonary defense mechanisms complicates definition of the interactive effects of pollutants and infectious agents . Tracheal organ culture has been utilized to maintain organized, differentiated respiratory epithelium in vitro . This model system permits the exposure of respiratory epithelium to injurious agents in an easily visualized and controlled environment . Effects of individual toxin and/or infectious agents may be examined without the involvement of most host defenses and unwanted secondary microbial invaders which hamper interpretation of in vivo model studies . Further, elements of host immune response, pharmacologic agents and the like may be added selectively if desired . A body of information is being developed on specialized respiratory cell injury by various common pathogenic agents--including respiratory syncytial virus, parainfluenza virus type 3, Bordetella pertussis and Mycoplasma pneumoniae--through studies in tracheal organ cultures . These agents injure specialized epithelial cells in different ways, providing a spectrum of changes against which the added effects of toxic substances could be evaluated at the cellular and subcellular levels . Information on the pathogenesis of infectious/toxic injury could suggest new directions for human health research and for means to benefit the human host.

Lab Anim Sci, 1980 Apr, 30(2 Pt 2), 460 - 5
Criteria for selecting the animal to meet the research need; Dodds WJ et al.; Prior to designing any study which utilizes animals, a number of criteria should be considered . One should decide whether alternatives to intact animal usage (tissue culture systems or mathematical models) will provide acceptable results . Perhaps there is a naturally-occurring animal model which resembles the condition to be studied . Careful consideration should then be made to select the correct animal species, the genotypic, microbial status and numbers of such animals needed . Once the study has been completed, these animal-related factors should be considered when interpreting the data.

Science, 1980 Mar 28, 207(4438), 1491 - 3
Single-nutrient microbial competition: qualitative agreement between experimental and theoretically forecast outcomes; Hansen SR et al.; When microbial strains compete for the same limiting nutrient in continuous culture, resource-based competition theory predicts that only one strain will survive and all others will die out . The surviving strain expected from theory will be the one with the smallest subsistence or "break-even" concentration of the limiting resource, a concentration defined by the J parameter . This prediction has been confirmed in the case of auxotrophic bacterial strains competing for limiting tryptophan . Because the value of J can be measured on the strains grown alone, the theory can predict the qualitative outcomes of mixed-growth competition in advance of actual competition.

Cancer, 1980 Mar 15, 45(5 Suppl), 1047 - 51
Colon carcinogenesis: an overview; Bresnick E; The mechanisms for activation of procarcinogens and some of the factors that affect these reactions are considered . It is proposed that the nucleus of the colonic cell may actually be responsible for the formation of ultimate carcinogenic forms of exogenous procarcinogens . The contributions of the intestinal microbial flora to activation and detoxification of the carcinogens are discussed, and the suggestion that inactive glucuronides of procarcinogens are hydrolyzed to proximate carcinogens by the microbial flora is proposed . Finally, the two-stage mechanism for carcinogenesis is discussed; large bowel cancer is the focal point.

Stomatol DDR, 1980 Mar, 30(3), 191 - 8
{A model study on air contamination at the stomatologic work place by use of the turbine}; Zschunke E; Certain dental measures, e . g., the application of a turbine, an ultra-sonic hand-piece or a spray, produce aqueous, polydisperse aerosols which escape from the patient's oral cavity during treatment and contaminate the room air with micro-organisms from the oral microbial flora . An aerobacteriometric model study at a stomatological work place showed that the germ content of the air was significantly higher on days when the turbine was used than on days when it was not used.

Can J Biochem, 1980 Mar, 58(3), 161 - 75
Membrane electricity as a convertible energy currency for the cell; Skulachev VP; The role of transmembrane electric potential difference (delta psi) in mitochondria, chloroplasts, and bacteria has been considered . Since the electric capacitance of membranes is much lower than the pH buffer capacitance of water phases, delta psi proves to be the primary form of energy produced by generators of electrochemical H+ potential difference (delta mu-H) . There are 11 distinct types of delta mu-H-generating systems in coupling membranes, involved in respiratory and light-dependent electron and proton transfer, as well as in ATP and PP1 hydrolysis and synthesis . Bacteriorhodopsin is the simplest delta mu-H generator . However, even in this case, the molecular mechanism of delta psi production remains obscure . Many types of work can be supported by delta mu-H with no ATP involved so that delta mu-H proves to be not only a transient intermediate of oxidative and photosynthetic phosphorylation but also a convertible energy currency for the cell . Among the delta mu-H-supported activities, mechanical work was recently demonstrated . It can be exemplified by the motility systems of (i) flagellar bacteria and (ii) blud--green algae . As was found in multicellular cyanobacteria, delta mu-H can be used for a power transmission over distances as long as 1 mm . It seems to be probable that in large cells of eukaryotes (e.g., in muscle fibers) giant mitochondria may serve as power-transmitting structures . Na+--K+ gradients can be used to stabilize delta mu-H in bacteria . It is suggested that the primary function of unequal distribution of these cations between the microbial cell and the medium is delta mu-H buffering.

Gann, 1980 Feb, 71(1), 18 - 23
Change of polyamine content in mouse skin by leupeptin, a protease inhibitor, during early stage of tumorigenesis; Goto M et al.; The effect of a microbial protease inhibitor, leupeptin, on the content of polyamine in the mouse skin was examined during the early stage of tumorigenesis induced by a single application of 7,12-dimethylbenz{a}anthracene (DMBA) and repeated application of croton oil thereafter . Polyamine content in the skin was measured at 3, 5, 7, and 9 weeks during tumorigenesis . The mice with no visible tumor were selected for measurement of polyamine content at 9 weeks . Mice were left untreated for at least 1 week before measurement of polyamine . Polyamine in the skin was extracted with ice-cold 0.4N HClO4 and separated into putrescine, spermidine, and spermine fractions through CM-cellulose column . Polyamine concentration was determined by fluorometry with fluorescamine . Group A mice painted with croton oil 3 times a week did not develop tumors . Group B mice painted with a single DMBA developed skin tumors, and group C mice painted with a single DMBA and croton oil 3 times a week showed higher development of skin tumors than group B . Group D mice treated as group C and then painted with leupeptin about 2 hr after croton oil treatment . Animals in groups B, C, and D had higher spermidine content as group A at 3 and 5 weeks . Content of spermidine in group B decreased at 7 and 9 weeks compared with group C which had a high content throughout the time tested . Leupeptin treatment in group D inhibited spermidine content in the skin after 7 weeks without affecting until 5 weeks.

Gann, 1980 Feb, 71(1), 138 - 40
Effect of simultaneous administration of leupeptin on induction of bladder tumors in rats by N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl)-nitrosamine; Kakizoe T et al.; Male Wistar rats were given a diet containing 0.1% leupeptin, a microbial protease inhibitor, and drinking water containing 0.01% N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl)nitrosamine (BBN) for 8 weeks . Leupeptin did not have any detectable effect on the induction of bladder tumors by BBN in week 40, in terms of the weight of the bladder including the tumor, the number of tumors per bladder, the extent of invasion, or the incidences of hyperplasia, papilloma, and cancer . This result is in marked contrast to the previous findings that leupeptin enhanced BBN-induced bladder carcinogenesis when administered continuously after BBN-treatment.

Ann Rheum Dis, 1980 Feb, 39(1), 50 - 2
Value of serum C-reactive protein measurement in the investigation of fever in systemic lupus erythematosus; Becker GJ et al.; The concentration of C-reactive protein (CRP) in the sera of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) was higher when the disease was active than when it was inactive, but was only markedly raised in patients suffering from identifiable microbial infection . CRP levels greater than 60 mg/l suggest the presence of intercurrent infection and may therefore be a valuable aid to the differential diagnosis of pyrexia in SLE.

J Lipid Res, 1980 Feb, 21(2), 215 - 22
Effect of cecum and appendix on 7 alpha-dehydroxylation and 7 beta-epimerization of chenodeoxycholic acid in the rabbit; Yahiro K et al.; The effect of surgical removal of cecum and appendix on bile acid metabolism was studied in the rabbit . Bile acid composition of bile and intestinal contents were analyzed by gas-liquid chromatography and individual bile acids were further identified by mass spectrometry . In normal, intact rabbits (group I), the biliary bile acids consisted largely of deoxycholic acid (DA) 95.3 +/- 1.0 (mean +/- SE) %; cholic acid (CA) 2.3 +/- 1.1% and lithocholic acid (LA) 1.0 +/- 0.3% were also detected . Removal of cecum and appendix (group II) produced significant changes in biliary bile acid composition: DA fell to 58.3 +/- 31.8%, CA rose to 37.7 +/- 10.4%, and LA was barely detectable (0.3 +/- 0.1%) . Administration of chenodeoxycholic acid (CDA), 125 mg/day, produced severe hepatotoxicity, reduced food intake, and produced weight loss (group III) . Biliary LA rose to 15.0 +/- 1.3%, while DA was 61.3 +/- 14.0% and CDA 21.8 +/- 14.6% of total biliary bile acids . Feeding CDA to animals without cecum and appendix (group IV) resulted in a slight increase of LA (3.2 +/- 2.2%) compared to group III, and appreciable amounts of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDA) 32.0 +/- 9.8% and of 7-ketolithocholic acid (7-KLA) 3.0 +/- 0.6% appeared in bile . The animals of group IV exhibited no hepatotoxicity and ate and gained weight normally . These results indicate that the microbial population of cecum and appendix is active in 7alpha-dehydroxylation of primary bile acids and that removal of these organs results in an increased formation of UDA by an unknown mechanism.-Yahiro, K., T . Setoguchi, and T . Katsuki . Effect of cecum and appendix on 7alpha-dehydroxylation and 7beta-epimerization of chenodeoxycholic acid in the rabbit.

Biull Eksp Biol Med, 1980 Feb, 89(2), 153 - 5
{Change in the activity of the histamine and serotonin systems in acute obstruction of the mesenteric vessels}; Il'icheva RF et al.; It was shown in experiments on 24 dogs that acute occlusion of the cranial mesenteric artery results, depending on its duration, in biphasic changes in the activity of the histamine and serotonin systems . During intestinal ischemia there was an enhanced discharge of histamine and serotonin from mast cells with activation of their inhibitors (di- and monoamine oxidase) . A remarkable inhibition of the histamine system enzymatic unit apart from a fall in serotonin activity because of progressing body poisoning by substances of microbial and metabolic origin were observed during intestinal infarction.

Am J Hosp Pharm, 1980 Feb, 37(2), 189 - 95
Quality-control plan for intravenous admixture programs . I: Visual inspection of solutions and environmental testing; Morris BG et al.; Two components of a model quality-control plan for intravenous admixture services--a 100% visual inspection and an environmental testing program--were developed and evaluated in two hospitals . Visual inspections are recorded by technicians on two forms that detail the types of solution, container, and device defects that should be checked . One form covers stock solutions and supplies, and the other covers prepared solutions . The environmental testing program uses two forms to record performance and results of routine microbial monitoring . The detailed quality-control forms are presented . Procedures for handling defective items and contamination problems are discussed . Evaluation of the visual and environmental plans showed they provided a systematic, workable, and modest-cost method of assuring and documenting conditions in an i.v . admixture service . To assure competent preparation, use and distribution of high-quality i.v . solutions, both components of the quality-control system must be performed on a routine basis.

Surg Clin North Am, 1980 Feb, 60(1), 107 - 16
The role of host defense mechanisms in surgical infections; Alexander JW; As far as the immunologic responses and infections in surgery are concerned, there are many exciting areas of advancement at the present time . Of these, nutritional factors seem of major importance . Even though much has been learned in the past few years, there is much to be learned, particularly related to selected amino acid deficiencies and their interactions and the potential for fortification with certain amino acids in dietary therapy . Whether the immune response can be made better than normal by increased or selective nutrition is something that remains to be determined . Certain immunomodulators given to high risk groups of patients will be able to restore immunologic competence in many instances and make it better than normal in others, with a resultant increase in resistance to all types of microbial infection . As far as passive therapy with plasma, plasma products, or some combination of these is concerned, it would appear at the present time that such treatment may benefit a few patients . However, in the adequately nourished patient, plasma therapy should be of relatively minor consideration.

Surg Gynecol Obstet, 1980 Feb, 150(2), 215 - 8
Immunologic function in patients with carcinoma of the pancreas; Fortner JG et al.; The immune fuction of 41 patients with duct cell adenocarcinoma of the pancreas or carcinoma of the periampullary region was studied by skin testing with 2,4-dinitrocholorobenzene and common microbial antigens, in vitro lymphocyte reactivity to mitogens, T-lymphocyte and B-lymphocyte cell counts and measurements of complement levels . Results show that a great proportion of patients had depressed immune function . Depression is particularly severe in lymphocyte reactivity . Positive response to skin tests with a microbial antigen carries a slightly better prognosis . The complement level is usually normal or elevated . Correlation between immune function, prognosis and tumor resectability in individual patients is generally poor.

Vet Med (Praha), 1980 Feb, 25(2), 81 - 9
{Concentration of chloramphenicol in blood, organs, and eggs of poultry after the administration of Chronicin solution ad usum vet . (SPOFA)}; Dvorak M et al.; The preparation Chronicin solutio ad usum vet . (SPOFA) (a 15% solution of CHF-base in propylene glycol) is to be orally administered to poultry in drinking water . The recommended doses (5 ml per 1 of water in chickens and turkey-poults and 3 ml per 1 of water in ducklings) produce, in the blood serum, CHF concentrations which act bacteriostatically on sensitive microbial strains {chickens--mean 2.60 micrograms per ml (0.71--6.25), ducks--mean 2.11 micrograms per ml (0.87--4.72)} . After dilution, the preparation is stable in the drinkers at least 24 hours and does not reduce the intake of drinking water in short-term administration . CHF residues remained in the organs of hens six days after the five-day therapy and in the eggs of hens nine days after the therapy . It is recommended, therefore, to respect a nine-day protective period in tissues and a 12-day protective period in eggs (between the end of therapy and processing for consumption).

J Hyg (Lond), 1980 Feb, 84(1), 103 - 8
Contaminated medicaments in use in a hospital for diseases of the skin; Baird RM et al.; Topical medicaments used by patients with diseases of the skin were examined for microbial contamination . Ps . aeruginosa was isolated from stock pots of a diluted emulsifying ointment used as a soap substitute in the bath . Cross-contamination between patients and medicament was subsequently shown to have occurred.

Cancer Treat Rep, 1980, 64(12), 1329 - 33
Effect of microbial fractions and vehicle on survival of mice bearing Lewis lung carcinoma; Richman SP et al.; Mice bearing pulmonary metastases of the Lewis lung carcinoma were treated iv with a nonviable microbial vaccine following amputation of the primary inoculation site . The vaccine consisted of BCG cell wall skeleton, trehalose, dimycolate, and endotoxin attached to mineral oil microdroplets . Single and repeated doses ranging from 15 to 675 micrograms were tested . Survival was modestly but consistently prolonged by vaccination . A portion of the activity appeared to be due to the Tween saline-oil vehicle . A single low dose (15 micrograms) was as efficacious as higher or repeated doses.

J Mal Vasc, 1980, 5(2), 107 - 8
{Fungal intertrigo and lymphangitis (author's transl)}; Bazin JC et al.; The pathogenic agents are normal parasites of the epidermis but which may cause local signs and microbial secondary infection . Two types of fungus are distinguished: -- dermatophytes, which develop in the 4th interdigital space and may become exacerbated . -- yeasts, which develop from the digestive and genital mucosal surfaces . Laboratory diagnosis must be as precise as possible . Treatment consists of aeration, drying of skinfolds, alkalinization for yeasts, antiseptics and antifungal agents . Such fungal infections may represent the starting point of lymphangitis and erysipelas.

Zentralbl Bakteriol Naturwiss, 1980, 135(5), 408 - 12
The influence of ultrasonic waves, alone and in presence of certain salts on the microbial production of citric acid by Aspergillus niger; Srivastava AS et al.; The influence of ultrasonic waves, alone and in presence of different (0.1, 0.5, and 1.0%) concentrations of NaCl, KH2PO4 and NH4Cl on the microbial production of citric acid by Aspergillus niger was studied . It was observed that in presence of sonic waves alone the yield of citric acid was generally better than that of control . Besides, some morphological changes in the diameter of the conidiophore of the of the mould was also noted . The effect of sonics in presence of NaCl was inconspicuous since at all sonic doses taken for the study, the yield of citric acid was less in comparison to the control . However, in presence of 0.5% KH2PO4 the yield was comparatively better (42.2%) over the control . The best result obtained amongst these treatments was found with the effect of sonics in presence of 0.5% NH4Cl in which the optimum yield of citric acid produced was greater than that of the control by 52.4%.

Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek, 1980, 46(4), 331 - 41
Microbial growth on 2-bromobutane; Sperl GT et al.; A member of the genus Arthrobacter was isolated which grew at the expense of 2-bromobutane as sole source of carbon and energy . Evidence is presented which suggests that the initial conversion of 2-bromobutane to 2-butanol is a spontaneous chemical hydrolysis and not mediated by the organism . Further evidence from oxygen consumption experiments indicates that 2-bromobutane is oxidized through 2-butanol, methyl ethyl ketone, ethyl acetate to acetate and ethanol . Results of experiments with cells grown on pathway intermediates reveal that the enzymes necessary for the oxidation of 2-butanol, methyl ethyl ketone, ethyl acetate, ethanol and acetaldehyde are not coordinately, but individually induced by their respective substrates.

Zentralbl Bakteriol {B}, 1980, 170(5-6), 508 - 28
{About the identification of sources and routes of mould contamination of bread in large bakeries (author's transl)}; Spicher G; In order to identify sources and routes of the contamination of bread by moulds, the microbial germ content of the air and machine surfaces was investigated in 25 large bakeries of different geographical position and size . On its way from the baking oven to the delivery station, the bread passes through production areas likely to be loaded with more than 90,000 mould spores/cbm air . With a germ content of the air in the bread storage rooms from 85 to 5,000 mould spores per cbm, bread contamination by 10 to 400 mould spores per 100 sq.cm must be expected to take place in the course of one hour . The germ content of the air in bread factories depends, among other factors, on the dust content of the air, the producton processes, the time and type of cleaning as well as on the fresh-air supply system for the production and storage areas . Especially in the bread slicing and packaging areas, a number of production-related sources of microbial spread exist which should be eliminated . The "knife oils" used for the slicing tools are occasionally found to be heavily contaminated with mould and yeast already at their arrival at the bakery . The continuous use of these oils leads to a considerable enrichment with microbial germs.

Beitr Trop Landwirtsch Veterinarmed, 1980, 18(2), 107 - 15
Wet fixation of potassium in an Iraqi soil, Ameriya silty clay loam; Naji T et al.; The wet fixation capacity of K was studied under varying conditions in an alkaline, calcareous, and alluvial Iraqi soil . The variations concerned the soil-water proportion, K concentration, type of K salt added, and temperature, with the time for equilibrium calibration remaining constant at seven days . K fixation increases with increased K addition, i.e . with an increased content of water soluble and exchangeable potassium, but also with an increase in temperature from 30 to 60 degrees C . Increasing the temperature changes the relation between the level of the K addition and its fixation . Factors like the relation between soil and solution, type of K salt, and microbial activity do not exert any remarkable influence on the fixation.

Vet Med Nauki, 1980, 17(1), 90 - 4
{Immunogenicity of an R . burneti strain isolated in Bulgaria}; Pandurov S; The immunogenic properties of a local R . burneti bp strain, isolated from sheep, were studied in view of its eventual use for active immunoprophylaxis against ky-fever in animals . The investigation was performed in guinea-pigs with 2 series corpuscular antigens: first phase antigen produced from guinea pig spleens and second phase antigen produced from yolk sacs of hen embryos . Each preparation was tested in concentrations of 500, 250, 62 and 31 millions microbial cells per 1 cm3 . It was established that the R . burneti bp strain possesses immunogenic complexes of I and II phase . The corpuscular antigens of the strain of the I phase are immunogenically more active than these of the II phase . Immunization of guinea pigs with first phase antigen stimulated the production of "early" and "late" antibodies and of complete immunity . Guinea pigs are fully resistant to 10(-6) infection doses of R . burneti following their subcutaneous immunization twice at an interval of 10 days with 1 cm3 of first phase antigen in a concentration of 62 million microbial cells per 1 cm3.

Int J Vitam Nutr Res, 1980, 50(2), 150 - 5
Isolation of volatile sulfur-containing microbial catabolites of biotin; Westendorf JM et al.; A soil pseudomonad was grown on biotin as sole source of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur . A product of thiolane ring degradation, methyl thioacetate, was isolated by Tenax trapping and identified by GC-Mass spectrometry in comparison to the synthetic compound . H2S is another catabolite which was isolated via heavy metal trapping and was quantified in culture supernatant . Studies of acetylation and methylation activities of broken pseudomonad cells indicated that methyl thioacetate may be formed by chemical alterations of H2S as the primary sulfur-containing catabolite of biotin . H2S can also serve as sole sulfur source for the pseudomonad.

Mikrobiologiia, 1980 Jan-Feb, 49(1), 167 - 70
{Acetylation of 3,4-dichloroaniline by representatives of the genus Pseudomonas}; Vol'nova AI et al.; Among 22 studied collection cultures belonging to the genus Pseudomonas, 11 cultures transformed 3,4-dichloraniline yielding 3,4-dichloroacetanilide in the absence of growth under the conditions of cometabolism; therefore, this capacity in rather typical of Pseudomonas cultures . A number of aliphatic and aromatic compounds were found to be effective cosubstrates of acetylation . Enzyme systems catalyzing the process of acetylation are constitutive . The results support the possibility of microbial acetylation being involved in the transformation of toxic compounds in soil.

Xenobiotica, 1980 Jan, 10(1), 47 - 56
The influence of the sulphonic group on the biodegradability of n-alkylbenzene sulphonates; Leidner H et al.; 1 . Model compounds of the type p-n-alkylbenzene sulphonates, p-n-alkylbenzoic acids and phenylcarboxylic acids were tested for biodegradability . Bioassays were performed with unadapted mixed cultures (soil suspensions) using the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) screening test . 2 . Degradation was measured by dissolved organic carbon analysis and g.l.c . or h.p.l.c . 3 . p-n-Alkylbenzene sulphonates were resistant to microbial attack . The carboxylated compounds with analogous structures, however, with one exception, were easily decomposed . 4 . The results indicate that the persistent character of p-n-alkylbenzene sulphonates is mainly due to the sulphonic substituent.

Rev Rhum Mal Osteoartic, 1980 Jan, 47(1), 21 - 9
{Pseudopottic and pseudodystrophic forms of spondylodiscites of ankylosing spondylitis . Four personal cases and 20 observations from the literature}; Bouvier M et al.; On the basis of four personal cases and of 20 cases taken from the literature, the authors outline the radioclinical aspects of the pseudo-pottic forms of ankylosing spondylitis and distinguish, aside from forms very closely resembling a microbial lesion, pseudodystrophic forms whose appearance is very close to that of intraspongious hernias.

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