Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol, 1978 Jan, (1), 65 - 9 {Characteristics of early autoimmune reaction in vaccinated and revaccinated animals}; Klemparskaia NN et al.; Experiments were conducted on albino mongrel female mice weighing 18 to 22 g . Development of early autoimmune reaction in response to the primary administration of microbial antigens was revealed; its intensity and duration depended on the dose of the antigen . Injection of physiological saline of the same or greater volume led only to the short-lived increase in the count of the autoantibody synthesizing cells in the spleen tissue . In repeated contact with the given antigen, there was noted a marked intensification of the reaction to homologous antigen, and a depression--to heterologous one in 7 to 14 days . Reaction to the administration of physiological saline alone failed to alter. Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek, 1978, 44(3-4), 269 - 82 Flow cytometric determinations of cellular substances in algae, bacteria, moulds and yeasts; Hutter KJ et al.; The practical use of flow cytometry is shown in several microbial assays . Recent technical improvements in the optics and electronics of flow cytometric systems as well as in staining techniques permit the measurements of minute cellular components such as the cellular DNA and the protein content of bacteria, algae, moulds and yeasts . Single cell ingredients can be measured by this assay according to their specific stainability . The cell DNA was stained by propidium iodide while the cell protein was fluorochromed by fluorescein-iso-thiocyanate . The DNA synthesis of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Saccharomyces pastorianus runs discontinuously while the protein content increases continuously during the vegetative growth . The different stages of DNA synthesis of yeast cells can be divided into two 'gap' phases, a synthesis and a mitosis period, corresponding to Howard and Pelc's model of DNA synthesis . Living and dead cells can be counted differentially after staining with Erythrosine B . The red fluorescence of the chlorophyll in algae can readily be used to determine the chlorophyll content of these cells. Acta Odontol Scand, 1978, 36(2), 83 - 7 Chlorhexidine gel and Steradent employed in cleaning dentures; Budtz-Jorgensen E et al.; It was the purpose of the study to test the efficacy of brushing with a 1% chlorhexidine gel or a commercial solution cleanser (Steradent) in preventing formation of plaque on the fitting surface of new dentures . The study group consisted of 74 denture wearers with denture stomatitis who were assigned randomly to one of four treatment groups, testing either the chlorhexidine gel, a placebo gel, Steradent, or a placebo solution . The experiment was started immediately after denture treatment was completed . The experimental period was 1 month . The amount of denture plaque, the clinical condition of the palatal mucosa, and the concentration of yeasts in mucosal and denture smears were recorded while the patients used their original dentures and after the experimental period . Plaque had formed on all new dentures but to a smaller extent in the groups testing the chlorhexidine gel or the placebo gel . The study does not provide any obvious evidence of a chemical effect of chlorhexidine gel or Steradent as a means to prevent formation of microbial plaque on the mucosal surface of maxillary complete dentures. Folia Microbiol (Praha), 1978, 23(1), 27 - 9 An all-metal block for replica plating of microbial colonies; Skodova H et al.; The surface of a metal block made of an aluminium alloy is covered with narrow perpendicular grooves, which thus form an array of quadrangular pyramids touching base to base . The surface is further provided with a marker which assures the positioning of the master plate and the replica plate . Replicas prepared using this block are of higher quality than those using the velveteen-covered cylinder . A single master plate will provide ten or more replicas of good quality, the master plate being preserved for further work . Last but not least, the all-metal block can be easily cleaned and heat-sterilized. Br J Nutr, 1978 Jan, 39(1), 37 - 44 The effect of partially replacing urea nitrogen with protein N on N capture in the rumen of sheep fed a purified diet; Ben-Ghedalia D et al.; 1 . The influence of replacing 10% of the urea nitrogen in a purified diet with casein, maize gluten or white fish meal on the efficiency of conversion of dietary-N into microbial N was examined using sheep equipped with rumen fistulas and duodenal re-entrant cannulas . 2 . Total nitrogen (TN), non-ammonia nitrogen (NAN) and amino acid nitrogen (AAN) flowing to the proximal duodenum were significantly higher (P smaller than 0.05) when maize gluten was added to the diet, and this appeared to be due to an increased efficiency of microbial protein production . 3 . Pepsin secretion was not significantly different between treatments and the daily amount of pepsin N flowing to the proximal duodenum was very small (40-53 mg) . The peak of pepsin activity in duodenal digesta was reached 6-8 h after feeding . 4 . The possible practical implications of the results are discussed. J Invest Dermatol, 1978 Jan, 70(1), 42 - 4 Reactivity of lupus erythematosus antibodies with leukemic helper T cells; Edelson R et al.; Immunoabsorbent columns, containing membrane fragments of either leukemic "helper" T cells or B cell lymphoblasts, were used to isolate and study antilymphocyte antibodies from plasmas of 2 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) . Both plasmas contained IgG which bound to and could be eluted from the "helper" T cell column . These antibodies significantly inhibited normal lymphocyte proliferative responses to microbial and histocompatibility antigens . The findings indicate that these SLE plasmas contain immunoglobulins of the IgG class which react with leukemic "helper" T cells and inhibit normal effector T cell function. C R Seances Soc Biol Fil, 1978, 172(3), 534 - 41 {Bioconversion of steroids in mutants of Nocardia restrictus}; Miclo A et al.; Nocardia restrictus grows quickly on synthetic media containing different carbonated substrates (steroids, organic acids) . The control of growth parameters of this microbial species allowed the development of the production and selection methodology for mutants unable to grow on androst-4ene-3,17-dione . A stable mutant convert androst-4-ene-3,17-dione in perhydroindan propionic acid without addition of any degradation inhibitor in the medium. Allerg Immunol (Leipz), 1978, 24(3), 199 - 202 {Allergological rapidtest by measurement of histon methylation in lymphocyte culture (author's transl)}; Goring HD et al.; Measuring an increased methylation of histons in sensitized lymphocytes is a method of detecting allergy against several allergens . Because of the short culture time it is adapted as an allergological rapidtest without high risk for microbial contamination. Zahn Mund Kieferheilkd Zentralbl, 1978, 66(4), 383 - 8 {The importance of the etiology of caries and periodontal diseases to the strategy of prevention (author's transl)}; Gangler P; Caries and the inflammation of the marginal periodontium are initiated by different pathomechanisms of microbial factors of the dental plaque . Etiologically, both pathologic changes are therefore associated with the dental plaque . Progression is modifiable by both local and general factors . Consequently, prevention of these major stomatological diseases is based upon a common concept and divides naturally into primary, secondary, and tertiary measures. Dermatologica, 1978, 157(3), 129 - 35 Delayed-type hypersensitivity in patients with mycosis fungoides; van der Harst-Oostveen CJ et al.; Cell-mediated immune reactivity was studied in 23 patients with mycosis fungoides and Sezary's syndrome by a semi-quantitative 2,4-dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB) sensibilization test and the reaction to intracutaneous microbial antigens . Anergy to DNCB was observed in 8 patients, 5 had a markedly depressed DNCB score, 6 showed negative reactions to the microbial antigens . A defect in antigen recognition is suggested. Biochimie, 1978, 60(3), 245 - 60 Nitrogen fixation and hydrogen metabolism in photosynthetic bacteria; Meyer J et al.; The photosynthetic bacteria are found in a wide range of specialized aquatic environments . These bacteria represent important members of the microbial community since they are capable of carrying out two of the most important processes on earth, namely, photosynthesis and nitrogen fixation, at the expense of solar energy . Since the discovery that these bacteria could fix atmospheric nitrogen, there has been an intensification of studies relating to both the biochemistry and physiology of this process . The practical importance of this field is emphasized by a consideration of the tremendous energy input required for the production of artificial nitrogenous fertilizer . The present communication aims to briefly review the current state of knowledge relating to certain aspects of nitrogen fixation by the photosynthetic bacteria . The topics that will be discussed include a general survey of the nitrogenase system in the various photosynthetic bacteria, the regulation of both nitrogenase biosynthesis and activity, recent advances in the genetics of the nitrogen fixing system, and the hydrogen cycle in these bacteria . In addition, a brief discussion of some of some of the possible practical applications provided by the photosynthetic bacteria will be presented. Acta Otorhinolaryngol Belg, 1978, 32(3), 211 - 7 {Bacteremia and tonsillectomy}; Minet JC et al.; A comparative study on the course of bacteremia and the postoperative behavior in 132 patients requiring tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy has been conducted . A control group including 33 patients was compared to three groups of an even number of cases treated with either doxycycline or amoxycyllin, or receiving gamma globulin immunotheraphy . Choice was guided by (1) the occurrence of bacteremia during surgery and the search for the various microbial strains involved, and (2) the confirmation of the advantages of the drug used within the first week of treatment. Zentralbl Bakteriol Naturwiss, 1978, 133(4), 357 - 61 Dynamics of microbial population in soil as influenced by simazine and ecological factors; Gaur AC et al.; Simazine, even at normal rates of application, showed toxicity to bacteria fungi . It was less toxic to actinomycetes, since toxicity up to 20 ppm of the herbicide was not observed . On the contrary, the normal rate of simazine stimulated both Azotobacter and actinomycetes population . The interaction of simazine with soil ecological factors, such as temperature, moisture, pH, and organic matter, affected soil microbial population differently . Simazine was relatively less toxic to bacteria under acidic and alkaline conditions of soil; they were not affected at 15 degrees C . Actinomycetes were comparatively not adversely affected even with 200 ppm of simazine under high soil moisture regime . The stimulatory effect of simazine on Azotobacter was also confirmed under different ecological conditions . The incorporation of 2 per cent of organic matter in soil mitigated the toxicity of simazine in respect to soil fungi . Simazine also appeared to be less toxic to soil fungi at lower temperatures, under acidic and alkaline conditions of soil, as well as under high moisture regime. Zentralbl Bakteriol Naturwiss, 1978, 133(4), 321 - 8 Purification and properties of rennin-like enzyme from Aspergillus ochraceus; Ismail AA et al.; An active milk-clotting enzyme was purified some 40-fold from culture supernatant of Aspergillus ochraceus . The purification steps included ammonium sulfate precipitation, G-100 Sephadex gel filtration, and ion exchange chromatography, using DEAE Cellulose column . The enzyme exhibited milk-clotting activity and proteolytic behaviour, an optimum at pH 6.0 and in the range of 7--8.5, respectively . The purified enzyme was actively proteolytic against casein, haemoglobin, and bovine serum albumin at pH 8 . The milk-clotting activity was greatly enhanced by manganous ions and by increasing concentrations of calcium chloride . Copper, zinc, and ammonium ions were potent inhibitors of the milk-curdling activity of the purified enzyme . Significant inhibition was also noted with sodium chloride at concentrations of 3% or more . Under the specified reaction condition, maximum rate of proteolysis against casein was obtained at 0.4% substrate concentration, whereas the milk-clotting time was linear proportional to dry skim milk concentration in the range of 8 to 24% . The results are discussed in comparison with other microbial milk-clotting enzymes, and limitations of applicability are also presented. Biochim Biophys Acta, 1977 Dec 21, 489(3), 415 - 22 Glyceride synthesis by four kinds of microbial lipase; Tsujisaka Y et al.; Apart from their usual mechanism of action, lipases from Aspergillus niger and Rhizopus delemar also catalyzed the synthesis of glycerides from oleic acid and glycerol . Lipases from Geotrichum candidum and Penicillium cyclopium were inactivated by oleic acid, but were stable in the presence of casein, albumin or buffer of appropriate pH . Lipases from Aspergillus niger and Rhizopus delemar synthesized glycerides from, not only fatty acid, but dibasic acids and aromatic acids, making ester bonds only at position 1 and 3 of glycerol . In contrast, lipases from Geotricum candidum and Penicillium cyclopium synthesized glycerides only from long chain fatty acids, and made ester bonds at all three available positions of the glycerol molecule. Science, 1977 Dec 16, 198(4322), 1175 - 6 Characterization of bacterial growth by means of flow microfluorometry; Bailey JE et al.; By means of flow microfluorometry, the protein and nucleic acid contents of individual bacterial cells may be measured at the rate of several thousand cells per second . Accumulation of such information over a few minutes yields the composition distribution of the microbial population . These distributions have been determined at different times during batch growth of Bactillus subtilis, and the results indicate that the variance of cell composition decreases as the population passes through the exponential into the stationary phase . The relative abundance of endospores and vegetative cells as well as the protein distributions of these subpopulations may be readily determined from flow microfluorometry data . Experimental access to such details of microbial population dynamics should foster improved understanding of cell growth, spore germination, and spore formation kinetics. Health Popul Perspect Issues, 1978 Jan-Mar, 1(1), 40 - 50 Principles of steam sterilization; Nagpal AK et al.; Moist heat in the form of saturated steam under pressure, is by far the most reliable medium, known for the destruction of all forms of microbial life . Steam sterilisation, therefore, is the most economical, effective and widely used method of seeking sterilisation in hospital practice . This article aims at describing the principle mechanism that makes steam an effective destruction of micro-organisms, the equipment that is most commonly used for the purpose and the practical methods of testing for sterility . The application of these principles, it is hoped, will ensure standardisation and quality control of routine sterilisation practice in hospitals thus, contributing towards the reduction in the incidence of hospital acquired infection. Blood, 1977 Dec, 50(6), 1145 - 50 Effect of storage on normal neutrophils collected by discontinuous-flow centrifugation leukapheresis; Glasser L; Storage limits for granulocytes have not been defined . The purpose of this study was to determine these limits for neutrophils collected by discontinuous-flow centrifugation and stored at 4 degrees-6 degrees C . The parameters studied were total leukocyte and absolute cell counts, viability measured by dye exclusion, morphology, percentage phagocytic neutrophils, number of Candida organisms ingested per phagocytic neutrophil, candidacidal activity by differential staining, and chemotaxis under agarose . There was a progressive loss of neutrophils on storage that was statistically significant by 48 hr . Phagocytosis was the best preserved function . Microbial killing measured by candidacidal activity was less well preserved . Chemotaxis was the most poorly maintained parameter . There was mild impairment at 24 hr and a severe functional loss at 48 hr . The data suggest the following: (1) the first functions lost on storage are the most highly integrated, i.e., chemotaxis, followed by microbial killing and then phagocytosis; and (2) assuming that these functional losses are irreversible, storage of normal neutrophils used for transfusion should be limited to approximately 24 hr because a severe defect in migration occurs between the first and second days. Jpn J Antibiot, 1977 Dec, 30 Suppl, 70 - 84 New anthracycline antibiotics; Oki T; A number of anthracycline antibiotics have been found in Streptomyces cultures . Among them, adriamycin and daunomycin have been studied most in detail, because these compounds have exhibited a strong antitumor activities 1, 2) . However, their clinical usefuleness is limited by side effects, particularly by bone marrow suppression and cumulative dose-dependent cardiac toxicity . 3 approximately 5) By the collaboration with Prof . H . UMEZAWA and Dr . T . TAKEUCHI, Institute of Microbial Chemistry, for the studies to find out new anthracycline antibiotics that may have lower cardiac toxicity and the same degree of the antitumor activity, we found 32 new anthracycline compounds in Streptomyces cultures and aclacinomycin A is under the phase II clinical study . Anthracycline compounds can be classified depending on the structures of their aglycones as shown in Table 1 . These compounds have a linear tetracyclic polyhydroxy anthracyclines, and can be grouped into seven groups . Biologically active anthracycline antibiotics have various sugar moieties at C-7 and/or C-10 position of the anthracyclinones . In 1951, H . BROCKMANN6) discovered rhodomycins A and B in the culture of a new species of Streptomyces purpurascens . Since then, he found numerous anthracycline compounds such as rhodomycin-, isorhodomycin- and pyrromycin-types in Streptomyces and elucidated their structures . All of these anthracyclines are red pigments . In 1964 and 1969 new group of orange-red anthracycline antibiotics: daunomycin10) and adriamycin11) was reported by DiMARCO and F . ARCAMONE . Moreover, aklavin12, 13) which has yellow aklavinone as aglycone and citromycinone aglycone14) which is also yellow have been isolated in the Streptomyces cultures . Aclacinomycin A15), which we found in Streptomyces galilaeus MA144-M1, has aklavinone aglycone and is becoming more interesting in its low cardiac toxicity. Jpn J Antibiot, 1977 Dec, 30 Suppl, 121 - 32 Enzyme inhibitors in relation to cancer therapy; Aoyagi T et al.; In the last 11 years the authors have succeeded in isolating nearly 40 enzyme inhibitors of small molecular size from microbial origins . These inhibitors proved to be not only useful tools in analyses of homeostasis of living organisms but also promising agents for cancer chemotherapy . Leupeptin was originally isolated as an inhibitor against serine or thiol proteases such as trypsin, plasmin, papain and cathepsin B . And soon it was demonstrated that leupeptin suppressed chemical carcinogenesis in rats . Pepstatin has an extremely strong activity to inhibit pepsin and cathepsin D . It also inhibits ascites accumulation caused by neoplastic diseases . Bestatin is a specific inhibitor against aminopeptidase B and leucine aminopeptidase . The enzymes are located on the surface membrane in various kinds of cells including lymphocytes . Bestatin was shown to enhance not only blastogenesis of lymphocytes in vitro but also establishment of delayed-type hypersensitivity in vivo . Combined use of bestatin and other antitumor agents gave promising results in animal experiments . Studies on enzyme inhibitors have provided us a new approach to cancer chemotherapy. Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol, 1977 Dec, (12), 54 - 8 {Heterogeneity in phage sensitivity in populations of S . aureus vegetating in patients and carriers}; Adarchenko AA; It was found that the S . aureus populations vegetating in patients and carriers were heterogeneous by phagegroup reference of the strains isolated in 31.1 and 23.9% of cases, respectively, and in 35.9 and 26.9%--phagovars . The frequency and the extent of variability of the populations in the patients depended on the character of the disease, the site of infection and the association of the focus with the external environment, and in carriers--on the localization and the carrier category . S . aureus populations habituating in the patients with the primary purulent processes and mastitis, as in the closed processes and in cases of extrahospital infection consisted, with rare exception, of the strains of one phagovar . In a considerable number of patients with purulent processes after the incision (38.0%), with infected wounds (37.2%), and particularly with burns (78.6%) of the S . aureus population consisted of 2, 3 and even 4 phagovars . Variable were also populations vegetating in patients with open processes (47.1%) and in hospital (26.5%) and mixed infection (52.6%) . The phage-type composition of the S . aureus populations in carriers was also characterized by heterogeneity, which was more pronounced in chronic carriers and in case of localization of the processes in the nose . On the basis of the data obtained the minimal number of cultures which should be studied from the microbial focus in order to obtain objective data on the composition of phagovars in the population of various categories of patients and carriers was calculated. J Antibiot (Tokyo), 1977 Dec, 30(12), 1080 - 6 Experiences in the search for anti-inflammatory agents of microbial origin; Groupe V et al.; Whole shaken cultures of 20 random, unidentified actinomycetes were extracted with n-butanol at pH 4.5, 7.0 and 8.5, respectively . Residues of butanol-extractable materials (BXM) were reconstituted (100X) in buffers and freeze-dried . BXM were surprisingly well tolerated in animals and were screened against influenza A viral pneumonia in mice . One culture yielded BXM-80 which suppressed both chemical (LPS) and viral (NDV) pneumonia in mice as well as inhibited rat foot pad edema induced by carrageenin . Aspirin, Butazolidin, hydrocortisone, indomethacin, and prednisolone, which are known to inhibit carrageenin-induced rat foot pad edema were tested against chemical (LPS) and viral (NDV) pneumonia in mice . Only hydrocortisone and prednisolone suppressed LPS pneumonia . All of these 5 compounds failed to inhibit NDV pneumonia . Microbial products are suggested as a source for new and unique anti-inflammatory agents. Biochem Genet, 1977 Dec, 15(11-12), 1193 - 211 Bioautography: a general method for the visualization of isozymes; Naylor SL et al.; A new method has been developed for visualization of isozymes which are difficult or impossible to detect with standard histochemical or autoradiographic methods . The principle of this method, bioautography, is the use of a microbial reagent to locate an enzyme after gel electrophoresis . When bioautography was compared to other staining procedures, the bioautographic method yielded identical results to those observed by the histochemical method for lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) or by the autoradiographic method for the adenine phosphoribosyltransferase (APRT) . Using the bioautographic method, stains for enzymes which could not be visualized by any other procedure have been developed: argininosuccinate lyase and branched-chain aminotransferase . By employing appropriately genetically marked bacterial strains, it should be possible to develop new isozyme stains for a large number of unstudied isozymes. Appl Environ Microbiol, 1977 Dec, 34(6), 801 - 5 Comparison between two methods of assaying relative microbial activity in marine environments; Griffiths RP et al.; Two methods for determining relative microbial activity in the marine environment were compared . In one method, a single concentration of a labeled substrate was used to calculate rates of substrate utilization; in the other, multiple concentrations of the same substrate (heterotrophic activity method) were used to calculate maximum potential substrate utilization rates . These studies were made on 232 seawater and 79 sediment samples taken from a variety of marine environments . The highest correlations between these two methods were seen in the sediment samples tested . The lowest correlation coerfficient seen in the sediment samples was 0.90, and the highest was 0.98 . In seawater samples (six studies), the lowest correlation coefficient was 0.77 and the highest was 0.95 . The correlation between these two methods was also substrate concentration dependent . Higher correlation coefficients were observed when higher substrate concentrations were used . Under certain conditions, these two methods appear to be comparable for estimating relative levels of microbial activity in the marine environment. Arch Neurol, 1977 Dec, 34(12), 771 - 3 Therapeutic trials in muscular dystrophy . III . Studies of microbial proteinase inhibitors in murine dystrophy; Enomoto A et al.; The microbial antiproteinases--antipain, leupeptin, and pepstatin--have been reported to inhibit the degeneration of chicken dystrophic muscle in tissue culture . Trials of antipain and pepstatin, and of leupeptin and pepstatin administered subcutaneously in murine muscular dystrophy, failed to produce evidence of benefit . It is suggested that these antiproteinases cannot pass through an intact sarcolemma into muscle fibers . Further studies with liposomes may allow these agents to enter muscle fibers. Experientia, 1977 Nov 15, 33(11), 1547 - 8 Possibility of using 131I-albumin as a marker for the estimations of microbial protein synthesis rates in the rumen; Mehra UR et al.; Total microbial protein synthesis rates in the rumen of buffaloes were estimated by isotope dilution technique, using 131I-albumin treated with tannic acid as a marker . The animals were fed groundnut cake treated with formaldehyde to meet 50% of their digestible crude protein (DCP) requirement and 2.5% urea molasses mixture was given to meet the remaining requirement of DCP . Wheat straw was fed as the basal roughage . The total average microbial protein synthesis was 58.14 g/day. J Dairy Sci, 1977 Nov, 60(11), 1706 - 24 Use of urea by early postpartum Holstein cows; Kwan K et al.; Thirty-nine lactating Holstein cows were fed high-energy complete rations ad libitum with crude protein: 1) 11.7% (negative control); 2) 13.9% (1% urea); 3) 16.6% (1% urea); or 4) 16.6% (positive control) in a continuous 12-wk study beginning at wk 5 postpartum . Milk production of 27.7, 31.8, 34.0, and 30.4 kg/day showed the use of urea nitrogen by groups 2 and probably 3 . Two digestion-nitrogen balance trials with each cow also provided evidence that urea nitrogen was used for milk secretion . Energy digestibility averaged 59.4, 64.2, 65.4, and 65.8; and lower for the negative control diet . Nitrogen solubility in the diets was 28, 36, 32, and 21%, which reflects the objective of selecting ingredients with low nitrogen solubility for use in urea diets . Concentrations of ammonia nitrogen before and after feeding were 1.1, 3.3, 3.5, 4.2, and 2.2, 11.2, 11.9, and 9.3 mg/100 ml of rumen fluid . The prefeeding amounts were probably too low for maximum microbial growth . Urea-nitrogen concentrations in plasma were 8.65, 10.32, 18.00, and 17.03 mg/100 ml . These results lend support to the postulate that lactating cows in early lactation can use urea nitrogen when high-energy complete rations with ingredients of low nitrogen solubility are fed ad libitum. Infect Immun, 1977 Nov, 18(2), 318 - 23 Modulation of delayed-type hypersensitivity and cellular immunity to microbial vaccines: effects of cyclophosphamide on the immune response to tularemia vaccine; Ascher MS et al.; Treatment of guinea pigs with cyclophosphamide before immunization with killed tularemia vaccine in Freund incomplete adjuvant produced a prolongation and intensification of delayed-type hypersensitivity and in vitro lymphocyte transformation reactions to tularemia antigen . Such reactions resemble those ordinarily associated with the administration of live tularemia vaccine, killed vaccine in Freund complete adjuvant, or recovery from natural infection . The immunopotentiation lasted longer than that seen previously in other antigenic systems with this drug and was dependent on the dose of vaccine used . More intense delayed skin reactivity could be transferred into normal controls by cells from immunized donors pretreated with cyclophosphamide than by cells from immunized donors that were not pretreated. Ann Immunol (Paris), 1977 Nov-Dec, 128(6), 165 - 77 Influence on certain amino acids on steps leading to DNA synthesis in concanavalin A-treated guinea-pig lymphocytes; Taudou G et al.; When guinea-pig lymph node cells were exposed to ConA in a culture medium lacking glutamine or cysteine, no DNA synthesis occurred . The addition of the missing acid to ConA-treated lymphocytes submitted to glutamine or cysteine starvation for 40 h allowed the synthesis of DNA to take place after a period of only 10-12 h . The synthesis of DNA is preceded by a rapid increase of 3H-uridine incorporation into RNA and of 3H-leucine incorporation into protein which occurred a few hours after addition of the missing amino acid . When cycloheximide was added to lymphocytes exposed to ConA in a glutamine or cysteine deprived medium, a relative enhancement of uridine incorporation was observed . No such effect was provoked by puromycin . These results suggest the possibility of a control system in lymphocytes similar to those described in microbial cells for amino acid control of RNA synthesis. Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol, 1977 Nov-Dec, 4(6), 525 - 32 An improved radioimmunoassay for serum gentamicin levels using 125I-labelled gentamicin; Casley DJ; 1 . A radioimmunoassay is described for the measurement of gentamicin in serum or plasma . 2 . The assay technique uses a tracer labelled with iodine-125 rather than tritium, and has advantages over previously reported radioimmunoassay methods (Longmore et al., 1976; Lewis, Nelson & Elder, 1972) with regard to rapidity, precision and simplicity of preparation of labelled gentamicin . 3 . The iodination technique is simple and gives tracer in high yield, at high specific activity, and with complete immunological identity to unlabelled gentamicin . 4 . There is a significant correlation between results obtained by this technique and by a microbial assay method but the radioimmunoassay is more rapid, specific and accurate. J Environ Pathol Toxicol, 1977 Nov-Dec, 1(2), 43 - 8 Strength and weaknesses of microbial test results for predicting human response; de Serres FJ; Concern over the mutagenic activity of environmental chemicals is widespread as a result of exploratory work during the past ten years . Mutagens seem to exist in just about every category of chemicals in our environment, and many of these chemicals have been shown to have widespread human exposure . Probably the best example in recent times is the food additive AF-2, (2-{2-furyl}-3-{5-nitro-2-furyl}acrylamide) which was used as a food preservative in Japan for about ten years starting in the mid-60's . It was used to preserve soybean curd, fish, and meat sausage and many other foods which were considered staples in the diet of every person living in Japan during that period . In 1973, AF-2 was found by Japanese scientists to be mutagenic in newly developed microbial tests for mutagenicity as well as in mammalian cells in culture (de Serres, 1974, 1976) . Subsequently, AF-2 was found to be mutagenic in numerous other assay systems by scientists in other parts of the world . There was great concern over potential mutagenic effects of AF-2 on the Japanese population early in 1974 as a result of the test data on mutagenicity from experiments on these laboratory organisms . However, it was not until AF-2 was found to produce cancer in the fore-stomach in mice (Sano et al., 1977) in August of 1974 that the use of AF-2 was finally banned by the Japanese Ministry of Health. Vopr Pitan, 1977 Nov-Dec, (6), 67 - 71 {Admixtures of antibiotic substances in enzyme preparations of microbial origin intended for use as food additives}; Kuzechkin AN et al.; A group of enzymtic preparations, mainly of the Soviet make were investigated for the presence of antibiotic substances admixtures . Altogether 25 preparations obtained from molds, actinomycetes, bacteria and yeast were studied . The results showed that 18 preparations contained antibiotic substances in an amount of 0.6-1300 U, equivalent to oxytetracycline units per 1 g . Most often antibiotics were present in preparations of the pectinase and protease group . In the group of glucoamylase the antibiotic activity was uncovered in a single preparation . Procedures employed in determining the antibiotic activity of enzymatic preparations is described and the possible role of antibiotics in the manifestations of their toxic properties discussed. Can J Microbiol, 1977 Nov, 23(11), 1594 - 7 Accessory pigment fluorescence for quantitation of photosynthetic microbial populations; Caldwell DE; The in vivo fluorescence of the primary accessory pigments in purple bacteria (carotenoids), green bacteria (bacteriochlorophyll), green algae (chlorophyll), and cyanobacteria (phycocyanin) was found to be a linear function of cell concentration over three of four orders of magnitude . The lowest cell concentrations detectable were 10(4) cells/ml for procaryotes and 10(3) cells/ml for eucaryotes. J Environ Pathol Toxicol, 1977 Nov-Dec, 1(2), 199 - 226 Clinical assessment of laboratory rodents on long term bioassay studies; Fox JG; The disease status of laboratory rodents should be clinically assessed before the animals are placed on toxicological bioassay programs . This is especially important when the stress of dietary or parenteral intake of toxic substances may trigger the clinical onset of latent diseases in research animals . In clinical evaluation of rodents, the environmental influence on biochemical, physiological and behavioral status of the animals must be continually monitored . Temperature, humidity, ventilation, lighting, and the microenvironment of the cage will all influence, independently or in consort, the response of the animal to various microbial or chemical insults . Unwanted variables in the diet can also markedly after the biological response of the animal and thus alter interpretation of experimental data . Adequately trained personnel, both professional and technical, must be available to provide daily care, clinical observation, and necessary treatment if signs of illness are noted in the laboratory rodent or bioassay experimentation . Clinical signs associated with commonly encountered diseases in laboratory rodents are briefly described . Clinical surveillance and assessment of rodents in part consists of recognition of and detailed recording of clinical signs, coupled with proper diagnostic resources to substantiate clinical observations . It is possible, with proper diagnosis, to evaluate the overall effect of a particular disease on the animal's health, the likelihood that the disease is jeopardizing the health of the other animals on test, and the effect of the disorder on interpretation of experimental results. Appl Environ Microbiol, 1977 Nov, 34(5), 541 - 6 Effect of an activated carbon filter on the microbial quality of water; Fiore JV et al.; Recently, there has been growing concern that microbial health hazards can be increased by the use of activated carbon filters in domestic water systems . The present study was undertaken to investigate the effect of carbon filters on the microbial content of water . Results indicated that the microbial content of filtered and unfiltered water increased to about the same level on overnight standing and, in both cases, was reduced by flushing the next day . In addition, the use of activated carbon for the filtration of contaminated well water over a period of 11 weeks had no effect on the total or coliform count . Under use conditions, activated carbon filters were found to have no significant effect on the number of bacteria present in the water. J Assoc Off Anal Chem, 1977 Nov, 60(6), 1372 - 4 Differentiation of rennet from other milk-clotting enzymes by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis; Prager MJ; Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was used to differentiate animal rennet and other milk-clotting enzymes . After electrophoresis, the separated components were visualized by staining with aniline blue-black . Two prominent proteins were found in calf and bovine rennet, while only 1 major protein was observed in pepsin and enzymes of microbial origin . These patterns provided a basis for distinguishing animal rennet and the other enzymes as well as a means of identifying each type of enzyme by the characteristic pattern shown. Br J Haematol, 1977 Nov, 37(3), 323 - 9 Impaired neutrophil function and myeloperoxidase deficiency in myeloid metaplasia; El-Maallem H et al.; The ability of neutrophils to phagocytose and kill Candida guilliermondii was investigated in 12 patients with myeloid metaplasia (MM) . Following ingestion there was a considerable impairment in the ability of MM neutrophils to kill and digest Candida which was not explained by the very mild impairment in phagocytosis . Quantitative myeloperoxidase measurement revealed an overall deficiency of this enzyme in MM neutrophils and a highly significant correlation between low myeloperoxidase levels and impaired candidacidal activity . Neutrophils from patients with myeloid metaplasia show a pattern of defective microbial killing, high alkaline phosphatase activity and low myeloperoxidase activty which is similar to that seen in severe infections and distinct from chronic granulocytic leukaemia . The cells of one patient with particularly low myeloperoxidase and defective microbial killing were further studied both cytochemically and by electron microscopy . The azurophilic granules of his neutrophils were present in normal numbers and contained normal amounts of acid phosphatase but they lacked myeloperoxidase. Hautarzt, 1977 Nov, 28(11), 589 - 92 {Pityriasis versicolor in Greece and its predisposition factors}; Parisis N et al.; The age and seasonal incidence of 2610 patients with pityriasis versicolor in Greece were studied . Determination of the pH of Na and K ions of the sweat and the microbiol flora of the skin of pityriasis versicolor patients was undertaken . Besides these the effectiveness of a 1% selenium disulfid suspension was tested . The results indicate that the age groups of 20-29 and 30-30 years are mostly affected by the disease . A high incidence of the skin manifestation was noted during the summer and fall months . A difference of the pH of the sweat between pityriasis versicolor and healthy controls was observed, but no difference was found in the Na and K ions of the sweat among these two groups . Neither did the microbial flora from the skin lesions of patients and from corresponding sites of controls show any difference . The high relapse in this experiment indicates the relative ineffectiveness of selenium disulfid preparations when used as a 1% suspension in the treatment of pityriasis versicolor. Lancet, 1977 Oct 22, 2(8043), 837 - 40 Oral non-absorbed antibiotics prevent infection in acute non-lymphoblastic leukaemia; Storring RA et al.; 113 patients being treated for acute non-lymphoblastic leukaemia were investigated to determine the effect of suppression of body microbial flora on prevention of infection . They were randomly allocated to a control group or a group which received non-absorbed antibiotics by mouth and topical applications of cutaneous and mucosal antiseptic preparations . The group receiving oral non-absorbed antibiotics had significantly few infections, fewer deaths from infection, fewer pyrexial episodes, and consequently received less systemic antibiotic therapy than the controls. Environ Health Perspect, 1977 Oct, 20, 253 - 5 Mutagenesis testing program; Valcovic LR; Until recently, mutagenicity testing was done on preselected compounds in a manner in which the testing laboratories knew the identity of the substances under test and the "expected" results, i.e., positive for compounds selected because of their carcinogenicity and negative for food additives . There is no completed study in which substances were tested blind using a standardized protocol . Also, little attention has been placed on reproducibility and variability within and between laboratories . These aspects are currently under investigation in microbial systems by NCI but the results will not be available 1-2 years . In the NIEHS testing program a large number of substances will be tested in a blind study . At present we suggest use of a short-term testing system consisting of microbial tests plus mammalian activation systems (Tier 1), two different Drosophila systems (Tier 2) and four different whole animal systems (Tier 3) . The compounds will initially be screened for mutagenicity in Tier 1, and the results obtained in Tier 1 together with what is known about the compound otherwise will dictate the decision whether to continue the test of the compound in Tier 2 and Tier 3. J Clin Pathol, 1977 Oct, 30(10), 953 - 5 Prolonged erythrocyte T-polyagglutination in two children with bowel disorders; Obeid D et al.; In vivo erythrocyte polyagglutination of microbial origin is usually a transient condition . In two children with bowel disorders, erythrocyte T-polyagglutination persisted for 12 months in one case and for seven months in the other . Both cultures required both transfusions to support surgery . Washed red cell concentrates were transfused instead of whole blood to prevent dangerous destruction of T-transformed erythrocytes by anti-T antibodies normally present in the plasma of blood donors. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol, 1977 Oct, 18(4), 486 - 91 Experimental design and statistical analysis of an in-use test of germicidal detergents; Hallenbeck WH et al.; Present methodology for the in-use testing of germicidal detergents is too time-consuming for routine use by a hospital environmentalist . A simplified experimental design and statistical analysis, amenable to routine use, is presented for the in-use testing of germicidal detergents against water alone . As an illustration of our methodology we evaluated two germicidal detergents versus water alone . Under our conditions of use, it was found that water alone was equally and significantly as effective (p less than 0.001) as the two germicidal detergents in reducing microbial contamination of floors. J Dairy Sci, 1977 Oct, 60(10), 1519 - 21 Action of milk clotting enzymes on alphas-caseins from buffalo's and cow's milk; El-Shibiny S et al.; alphaS-Caseins were isolated from buffalo's and cow's milk and hydrolyzed with rennet, bovine pepsin, microbial proteases from Mucor miebei, Mucor pusillus Lindt, and Endotbia parasitica . The rate of hydrolysis was followed by determining the unaltered alphaS-casein in the digest after acrylamide gel electrophoresis . The rate of hydrolysis of alphaS-casein from the two species with the different enzymes was comparable, being more rapid with microbial enzymes particularly Endotbia parasitica protease . However, the electrophoretic patterns of the degradation products of buffalo's and cow's alphaS-casein produced by microbial rennets were not identical. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg, 1977 Oct, 74(4), 506 - 18 Immunoprofile studies for patients with bronchogenic carcinoma . I . Correlation of pretherapy studies with survival; Liebler GA et al.; The general immune competence of 146 patients with bronchogenic carcinoma was measured, prior to irradiation therapy, by determining dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB) reactivity, delayed cutaneous hypersensitivity (DCH) response to microbial antigens, peripheral lymphocyte counts, peripheral T and B lymphocyte counts, and the response of patient's lymphocytes to stimulation by phytohemagglutinin (PHA), concanavallin A (Con A) and pokeweed mitogen (PWM) . Analyses were performed by the life-table method to determine the correlation of the immune status of these patients with survival rates . Statistically significant differences in survival were noted between the groups of patients with normal values when compared with the patients with abnormal values for the majority of the tests of general immunity . A stage of disease correlation with survival rate was noted for all groups of patients with abnormal immune measurements, but it was absent for many of the immune parameters when patients with normal values were compared . The effects of histology, age, and sex did not appear to influence the survival data as significantly as did the immune status of the patient . These data indicate that measurements of general immune competence may be of significant prognostic value for the management of patients with bronchogenic carcinoma . The measurement of DNCB reactivity shows the strongest correlation with survival rate. Ric Clin Lab, 1977 Oct-Dec, 7(4), 299 - 311 Recent concepts on the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis; Glynn LG; The evidence implicating an immune pathogenesis of the lesions of rheumatoid arthritis is presented under four headings: clinical, histopathological, serological and experimental . This leads to the conclusion that the disease occurs in two phases, an initial phase associated with the presence of an exogenous initiating agent and a chronic, apparently self-prepetuating phase maintained by the presence of an autoanitgen . The microbial nature of the initiating agent is considered and it is concluded that present evidence does not exclude the possibility that no single agent is responsible. Br J Nutr, 1977 Sep, 38(2), 225 - 32 On the role of higher plant and microbial lipases in the ruminal hydrolysis of grass lipids; Dawson RM et al.; 1 . The galactolipids of heat-treated, 14C-labelled rye grass S24 administered intraruminally to a sheep fed on an autoclaved diet were rapidly catabolized . 2 . When grass was homogenized with rumen contents devoid of higher plant lipases the grass galactolipids were rapidly metabolized, but were not metabolized when the rumen contents were boiled to destroy microbial galactolipases . 3 . 14C-labelled monogalactosyldiglyceride, digalactosyldiglyceride and triolein were metabolized, with the release of 14C-labelled fatty acids when incubated with a homogenate (100 g/l) of grass or clover in rumen fluid from a starved sheep, but not when the rumen fluid was heat-treated to destroy microbial enzymes . 4 . It is concluded that in the sheep the lipases of rumen micro-organisms play a major part in the ruminal degradation of ingested complex lipids of pasture. J Natl Cancer Inst, 1977 Sep, 59(3), 941 - 4 In vitro studies of chemical mutagens and carcinogens . I . Stability studies in cell culture medium; Jensen EM et al.; A quantitative microbial assay was used to study the stability of known mutagenic and carcinogenic compounds in cell culture medium . Ten direct-acting carcinogens, when incubated in culture medium with 15% fetal bovine serum at pH 7.2-7.4 and 37 degrees C, became inactive at varying rates . Biologic half-lives of the test compounds ranged from 8 minutes to 67 hours . In contrast, six procarcinogens showed no significant inactivation after 3 weeks' incubation . The biologic half-lives of each compound were presented, and the significance of these findings as they relate to cell culture carcinogenesis and mutagenesis assays was discussed. Am J Clin Nutr, 1977 Sep, 30(9), 1485 - 90 Infection and iron metabolism; Weinberg ED; An important component of nonspecific defense of vertebrates against microbial invasion is that of nutritional immunity . Hosts attempt to withhold growth-essential iron from invading bacteria, fungi, and protozoa . Clinical conditions in which hosts are stressed by excess quantities of iron in specific fluids, tissues, or cells result in enhanced susceptibility to infection . Methods for strengthening nutritional immunity are known in theory; research is needed to determine if these would be useful in clinical practice. Infect Immun, 1977 Sep, 17(3), 567 - 71 Mechanism of adjuvant activity of dental plaque: in vitro activation of residual helper T-cell precursors in T-cell-deficient murine spleen cell cultures; Chen P et al.; The immunoenhancing activity of a water-soluble extract of dental plaque (DP), which contains a mixture of microbial antigens, has been investigated . DP was tested for its capacity to augment the in vitro antibody-forming cell (AFC) response to sheep erythrocyte by adherent spleen cells from thymectomized, lethally irradiated, and bone marrow-transplanted (TxB) mice . Although DP was found to induce a small polyclonal AFC response, most of the increase in AFC induced by DP was antigen dependent . The latter enhancing effect is an indicator of the adjuvanticity of DP . This adjuvant activity of DP was T-cell-dependent, since removal of the residual prethymic and/or thymic-derived lymphocytes (T-cells) by anti-T-cell serum (anti-theta) and guinea pig complement abrogated the capacity of DP to augment the in vitro AFC response . This view was further supported by the synergistic restorative effect obtained by culturing anti-theta-treated adherent spleen cells with both DP and a population of unactivated T-cells that by themselves were unable to significantly enhance AFC responsiveness . Moreover, DP was found to be mitogenic for thymocytes . The cumulative results suggest that the adjuvant activity of DP is dependent on both the T- and B-cell-activating components present in DP. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol, 1977 Sep, 44(3), 367 - 73 Bacterial contamination and transmission by nitrous oxide sedation apparatus; Hunt LM et al.; Microbial contamination of sterile nasal hoods was demonstrated in nine of twenty-one clinical administrations of nitrous oxide-oxygen conscious sedation . In each case, bacteria isolated from the hood after 30 minutes' use were correlated morphologically with organisms recovered from the subject's nasal mucosa . A laboratory investigation utilizing an artificial respiration-sedation system revealed that there is a significant possibility of cross-infection between patients when improperly disinfected sedation equipment is employed. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol, 1977 Sep-Oct, 86(5 Pt 1), 698 - 702 Current concepts of tumor immunology . I . Basic immunologic concepts; Krause CJ et al.; Interest in tumor immunology grew out of the study of host response to microbial infections during the second half of the 19th century . However, the growth of interest in transplantation during the 1950s and 1960s is largely responsible for the great surge of scientific investigation into tumor immunobiology which we are experiencing today . Tumor cells possess certain abnormal antigens in addition to their normal complement of transplantation antigens . These abnormal antigens evoke an immune response in the host, which involves both the humoral and the cell-mediated systems . Though the cell-mediated (thymus derived) system is generally conceded the most important role in tumor cell destruction, the humoral (bursal-equivalent derived) system also plays a role in host response which is presently less clearly understood . Certain aspects of the humoral response (blocking factors) actually appear to inhibit the host response against a tumor . This complex system of host immune response to tumor has been termed the immunosurveillance system. Antibiotiki, 1977 Sep, 22(9), 813 - 6 {Side effects of antibiotics in rheumatic diseases}; Matveikov GP et al.; Complications due to antibiotic therapy in rheumatic patients subjected to season bicillin prophylaxis in Minsk within 1965--1975 and in patients with extensive collagenoses were studied . Allergic complications mainly ih the form of allergic reactions in the patients treated with bicillin-3 or picillin-5 were observed in 7.8--16.8 per cent of the patients . Within 10 years 52 cases of anaphylactic shock due to the bicillin use were recorded . Side reactions to antibiotics were observed in 16 (17.3 per cent) out of 92 patients with extensive collagenoses . For prophylaxis of the above complications it is recommended to use rational antibiotic therapy in rheumatic patients, strict registration of allergological states in the anamnesis, testing of microbial sensitivity to the antibiotics. Biosystems, 1977 Sep, 9(2-3), 165 - 74 Life on Mars? The Viking labeled release experiment; Levin GV et al.; Viking radiorespirometry ("Labeled Release" {LR}) experiments conducted on surface material obtained at two sites on Mars have produced results which on Earth would clearly establish the presence of microbial activity in the soil . However, two factors on Mars keep the question open . First, the intense UV flux striking Mars has given rise to several theories postulating the production of highly oxidative compounds . Such compounds might be responsible for the observed results . Second, the molecular analysis experiment has not found organic matter in the Mars surface material, and therefore, does not support the presence of roganisms . However, sensitivity limitations of the organic analysis instrument could permit as many as one million terrestrial type bacteria to go undetected . Terrestrial experiments with UV irradiation of Mars Analog Soil did not produce Mars type LR results . Gamma irradiation of silica gel did produce positive results, but not mimicking those on Mars . The life question remains open. Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol, 1977 Aug, (8), 131 - 4 {Etiology of pneumonias in young children according to data from comprehensive immunomicrobiological, virological and parasitological studies}; Zadvorniak PV et al.; Investigations carried out demonstrated acute pneumonia in young children to be characterized by the presence in the sputum from the deep respiratory tract of polymicrobial flora, in some of viral-microbial-fungus flora, and also of pneumocysts . Immunobiological and virological study demonstrated the etiological role of 7 virus species and 2 bacteria species in 70.8% of cases; pneumonia of viral etiology constituted 24.1 +/- 3.0%, of bacterial -- 24.6 +/- 3.0%, and of viral-bacterial -- 22.1 +/- 2.0% . In order to unify the approaches and methods of study of pneumonia etiology in young children complex immunomicrobiological, virological, and parasitological method of study is suggested. Appl Environ Microbiol, 1977 Aug, 34(2), 244 - 6 Rate of microbial transformation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: a chromatographic quantification procedure; Herbes SE et al.; A chromatographic procedure has been developed for isolating and quantifying microbial transformation products of 14C-labeled polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons . Transformation rates of naphthalene, anthracene, benz(a)anthracene, and benz(a)pyrene by a mixed bacterial population have been measured . With this procedure, extremely slow or incomplete transformations may be quantified that would not be detectable by previously used techniques. Biotechnol Bioeng, 1977 Aug, 19(8), 1193 - 210 Competition for mixed substrates by microbial populations; Yoon H et al.; A model for the growth of an organism on multiple substrates was developed, assuming that each substrate has a competitive inhibition effect on the uptake of other substrates . The model was extended to examine mixed substrates, showing that the coexistence of several species at steady state in continuous cultures is possible, even when all the organisms all strongly prefer the one substrate . The diversity of nutrient sources in a real system may be a key factor in supporting a heterogeneous microbial population. Appl Environ Microbiol, 1977 Aug, 34(2), 240 - 1 Dialysis technique for containment of microbial populations inoculated into food systems; Willardsen RR et al.; A technique utilizing dialysis tubing was developed for the containment of microbial populations introduced into a food system . The entrapment of the inoculum was accomplished while reducing interference with interactions between the sample and the surrounding environment. Hautarzt, 1977 Aug, 28(8), 404 - 6 {Effect of wash-active substances in hair-washing preparations}; Gloor M et al.; Standardized hair washes have been carried out at weekly intervals over a period of four weeks in a total of 35 male subjects . A standard surfactant solution was applied in all subjects for the first two washes . For the third and fourth wash three different surfactant solutions were used in three groups of subjects . It was observed that the microbial splitting of the triglycerides into fatty acids can be inhibited by surfactants . We think that in this way a seborrhoea oleosa can be changed into a seborrhoea sicca . Moreover some but not all surfactants have a strong "keratolytic" action when they are used in shampoos. Biochim Biophys Acta, 1977 Jul 22, 493(1), 188 - 95 The influence of temperature and urea on intrinsic fluorescence of Streptomyces subtilisin inhibitor . A study by fluorescence polarization and quenching; Komiyama T et al.; Intrinsic fluorescence of new microbial protease inhibitor, Streptomyces subtilisin inhibitor was studied by observing fluorescence polarization degree and lifetime in the temperature range 25-81 degrees C . Striking thermal changes in these fluorescence properties of tryptophan residues were observed . The apparent molecular volumes for tryptophan and tyrosine residues in the native form were determined to be 89 and 75 A3, respectively . The fluorescence quenching by Br- or Cs+ was investigated to obtain a microenvironmental information around tryptophan residues both in the native and denatured form . Cs+ quenches the fluorescence slightly stronger than Br-, implying that there is not any distinctive electrostatic interaction between tryptophan residues and their neighborhood. Prikl Biokhim Mikrobiol, 1977 Jul-Aug, 13(4), 521 - 6 {Isolation of lipase of microbial origin}; Petrova LIa et al.; By gel chromatography and polyacrylamide gel disc-electrophoresis the component composition of the culture liquid separated from the mycelium was investigated . After elution from Sephadex G-75 column lipase activity was concentrated in one peak . Out of 13 electrophoretic mobile protein components only one split trioleate . The paper describes a method to isolate lipase from the native solution of the produced which involves enzyme precipitation at 40% saturation of the native solution with ammonium sulphate, dialysis of the resultant concentrate and selective sorption of pigment and protein admixtures on the cellulose anion exchanger . The method maker it possible to obtain a highly purified lipolytic enzyme with a specific activity of up to 15 000 lu/mg protein and to provide its 35--40% yield. Arch Dermatol, 1977 Jul, 113(7), 942 - 5 Pemphigus vegetans of Hallopeau: immunofluorescent studies; Nelson CG et al.; Immunofluorescent techniques were used in the study of tissue from a patient with pemphigus vegetans of Hallopeau . The findings were typical of pemphigus, confirming the propriety of classifying this entity as a benign variant of pemphigus, rather than a disease of purely microbial etiology . The question is raised whether other types of vegetating pyodermas actually are separate diseases or represent a spectrum of pemphigus with the clinical appearance dependent on the patient's immunity to his disease . Immunofluorescent studies are proposed as a basis for classification. J Med Chem, 1977 Jul, 20(7), 914 - 7 Microbial transformations of natural antitumor agents . 3 . Conversion of thalicarpine to (+)-hernandalinol by Streptomyces punipalus; Nabih T et al.; Microbial transformation studies were conducted with the antitumor alkaloid thalicarpine . Streptomyces punipalus (NRRL 3529) converted thalicarpine to (+)-hernandalinol, the structure of which was determined spectroscopically and by synthesis from the known alkaloid hernandaline . This unusual biotransformation reaction most likely occurs by oxidative cleavage of the isoquinoline ring from thalicarpine through the intermediate hernandaline, which then undergoes further reduction to hernandalinol. Arch Tierernahr, 1977 Jun, 27(6), 393 - 402 {The effect of physical shape of dried green feed and of various sources of starch on the site of digestion of carbohydrates and proteins and on the protein synthesis in the cow rumen}; Voigt J et al.; The experiments were performed on cows with duodenal bridge fistulae to study the influence of the physical form of roughage (forage rye, chopped or pelleted) and of the starch source (barley or maize) on the place of carbohydrate digestion and on microbial protein synthesis . The organic matter digested in the stomachs contained more than 90% carbohydrates . Their digestibility was not found to be influenced by the physical form of the roughage and by the kind of starch source . Feeding pelleted roughage (30% crude fibre) as against chopped roughage increased the share of intestinal digestion of crude cellulose from 5 to 13%, whilst it remained relatively constant with starch (alpha-polymer bound glucose) . Under high-starch feeding (some 2100 g/day) 710 g (maize) and 400 g (barley) of alpha-polmer bound glucose entered the duodenum . This corresponds to 29.6 and 17.6% of the starch consumed with maize and barley, respectively . When feeding the pelleted roughage (as compared to chopped roughage) a large amount of the non-bacterial N derived from feed protein and endogenous N (69.6 and 52.8 g/day) was available in the duodenum . Against this, the synthesis of bacterial N decreased (82.7 and 109.0 g/day) . In the intestine, 107.1 and gN were absorbed daily from pelleted and chopped forage rye, respectively . In comparison with maize, barley was found to promote N availibility in the intestine (108.9 and 115.3 g N/day) . Out of every 100 g of organic matter digested in the stomachs 28 and 21 g of bacterial protein were synthesized under chop and pellet feeding, respectively . Referred to the same amount, 6.6 g and 6.2 g N were found to enter the duodenum for chopped and pelleted roughage, respectively. Br J Prev Soc Med, 1977 Jun, 31(2), 101 - 8 Acute respiratory illness in the community: effect of family composition, smoking, and chronic symptoms; Monto AS et al.; Respiratory illness and infection was studied in the community of Tecumseh, Michigan, USA, during a six-year period . Acute illness was ascertained by making weekly telephone calls, and prevalent agents were identified by microbial isolation . Infection rates were determined serologically using blood specimens collected routinely at six monthly intervals from those reported to be ill . Illness rates were higher in the youngest children of families up to the age of three years than for the oldest children of the same ages . Above the age of three, the pattern was reversed . Among the adults, rates of illness were shown to relate not only to the presence, but also to the age of children in the home . Throughout this comparison, women were more likely to be ill than men in the same groups . Smoking in itself was not related to increased acute respiratory illnesses, but persons with symptoms of chronic bronchitis were found to have higher illness rates independently of whether they smoked. J Lab Clin Med, 1977 Jun, 89(6), 1326 - 32 Lymphoproliferative responses to antigens mediated by human pulmonary alveolar macrophages; Laughter AH et al.; We evaluated the ability of human pulmonary alveolar macrophages (PAMs) to mediate (3H)-thymidine incorporation by blood lymphocytes severely depleted of monocytes when stimulated with soluble microbial and allogeneic lymphocyte antigens . Low (less than 2%) concentrations of PAM's from nonsmokers or blood monocytes did not support optimal responses . Over all, at greater than or equal to 10% concentrations, PAM's from nonsmokers supported higher responses than monocytes . At less than or equal to 10% concentrations, PAM's from heavy cigarette smokers mediated significantly less incorporation than did similar concentrations of PAM's from nonsmokers (p less than 0.05) . The findings indicate that PAM's from healthy nonsmokers are functionally competent macrophages in terms of mediating lymphoproliferation in cultures stimulated with antigens . This classical macrophage function is impaired with cigarette smoking. Mutat Res, 1977 Jun, 46(3), 165 - 75 The use of yeast cultures for the detection of environmental mutagens using a fluctuation test; Parry JM; A microbial fluctuation test, modified for the detection of environmental mutagens has been evaluated using a number of strains of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae . Auxotrophic diploid cultures of yeast which produce prototrophic colonies by both mitotic gene conversion and mutation have been extensively utilized for the detection and evaluation of chemicals showing genetic activity . A number of the yeast strains utilized were shown to be suitable for use in the fluctuation test although the time scales of the experiments were considerably extended (up to 16 days) compared to those involving bacteria . The yeast strains respond to doses of mutagens at least a 100-fold lower than that required in a conventional short exposure treat and plate experiment . In experiments involving the induction of mitotic gene conversion at the tryptophan-5 and histidine-4 loci in the fluctuation test significant increases in prototrophic cells were produced in the presence of the insecticide Lindex (0.05 microng/ml), the preservative Thiomersal (0.0001 microng/ml), a mahogany hair dye (0.01 microng/ml), the herbicide Paraquat (0.02 microng/ml) and the alkylating agent ethyl methane sulphonate (0.1 microng/ml) . The results demonstrate that the fluctuation test provides an extremely sensitive assay for the detection of chemicals which show genetic activity in yeast at non-toxic concentrations. Appl Environ Microbiol, 1977 May, 33(5), 1085 - 91 New microbial growth factor; Bok SH et al.; A screening procedure was used to isolate from soil a Penicillium sp., two bacterial isolates, and a Streptomyces sp . that produced a new microbial growth factor . This factor was an absolute growth requirement for three soil bacteria . The Penicillium sp . and one of the bacteria requiring the factor, an Arthrobacter sp., were selected for more extensive study concerning the production and characteristics of the growth factor . It did not seem to be related to the siderochromes . It was not present in soil extract, rumen fluid, or any other medium component tested . It appears to be a glycoprotein of high molecular weight, and it has high specific activity . When added to the diets for a meadow vole mammalian test system, it caused an increased consumption of diet without a concurrent increase in rate of weight gain. Pediatr Clin North Am, 1977 May, 24(2), 377 - 93 Disorders of leukocyte chemotaxis; Snyderman R et al.; The rapid accumulation of inflammatory cells at sites of microbial invasion or neoplastic transformation is a central event in immunologically-mediated host defense . The availability of methodology to accurately quantify leukocyte migration in vitro has allowed the disclosure of previously unrecognized clinical disorders, namely leukocyte dysmotility syndromes . Although this area of clinical investigation is in its infancy, one can identify several processes associated with abnormal leukocyte accumulation . Abnormalities of immune recognition, chemotactic factor production, cellular motility or inhibitors of chemotaxis have been identified in different human diseases . In the upcoming years, pharmacological intervention directed at correcting specific causes of leukocyte dysmotility may well enhance our ability to treat certain infectious, inflammatory, and neoplastic diseases. Ciba Found Symp, 1977 Apr 26-28, (46), 305 - 27 Effects of local delayed hypersensitivity on the small intestine; Ferguson A et al.; There are many T and B cells in the small intestinal mucosa and local T cell immunity could have a role both in protective immunity and as a cause of disease (i.e . hypersensitivity) . This latter aspect has been investigated by using several animal models to assess the effects of local delayed hypersensitivity on the structure and function of the small intestine . Heterotopically transplanted grafts of fetal small intestine in mice (isografts and allografts) have been examined by conventional histology, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, by making direct measurements of villi, crypts, and lymphoid cell infiltrate, and by counting the number of mitoses per crypt . This cell-mediated immune reaction causes lymphocyte infiltration which is most marked in the lamina propria, hyperplasia of the crypts of Lieberkuhn, increased cell loss with villous atrophy and a flat surface, but the individual enterocytes appear fairly normal . Graft-versus-host disease cause exactly the same changes in structure and in cell kinetics as does rejection . However, crypt hyperplasia has been found to precede villous atrophy by several days . Preliminary experiments on local contact hypersensitivity suggest that intraluminal injection of oxazolone in the gut of sensitized mice also produces villous atrophy and crypt hyperplasia . It is postulated that these effects are likely to be produced via lymphokines: by an 'enteropathic' factor which damages the lamina propria and basement membrane, and a factor which is mitogenic for crypt stem cells . In mice infected with Giardia lamblia, crypt hyperplasia and lymphocyte infiltration of the epithelium are present and there is accelerated epithelial cell turnover . In rats infected with Nippostrongylus brasiliensis, the flat mucosa has been shown to be due to the thymus-dependent immune response and not directly to the damage produced by the parasite itself . A common factor in the variety of conditions associated with villous atrophy and crypt hyperplasia may well be a local cell-mediated immune reaction to food, microbial, parasite or other antigens which causes changes in enterocyte turnover rate and malabsorption. Lancet, 1977 Apr 23, 1(8017), 875 - 7 Clonal priming of human lymphocytes: Specificity and cross-reactivity of cellular immune reactions; Levis WR et al.; Clonal priming in response to chemical and microbial antigens which defines the specificity of cellular immune reactions, was demonstrated by culture techniques . Human leucocyte cultures stimulated with specific antigens typically show peak levels of D.N.A . synthesis after 5 to 7 days in culture . Such primary leucocyte cultures were incubated for 10-20 days, then the cells were gently centrifuged and resuspended in fresh RPMI 1640 with 20% plasma . These secondary or primed cultures typically showed less than 1000 c.p.m . after 48 hours . However, if the original antigenic stimulant was added, specific accelerated responses were seen by 48 hours in the secondary cultures . Lymphocyte clones in these sceondary cultures primed with dinitrophenylated (D.N.P.) antigens (from subjects sensitised to dinitrochlorobenzene) showed enhanced D.N.A . sythesis in response to the same dinitrophenylated antigens and showed varible accelerated responses to related chemically modified antigens . However, D.N.P.-activated clones in these secondary cultures did not show enhanced responses to microbial antigens even though the lymphocytes had been highly responsive to tetanus toxoid and other microbial antigens in primary cultures . The specificity of this clonal activation was further demonstrated by the enhanced response of secondary cultures of tetanus-toxoid-activated clones to tetanus toxoid but not to dinitrophenylated antigens . The abiltty to detect specificity and cross-reactivity of cellular immune reaction has broad implications for investigations of cellular immunity as well as many potential applications in the diagnosis and understanding the patogenesis of inflammatory and neoplastic diseases in which cellular immune discrimination may be involved. J Dairy Sci, 1977 Apr, 60(4), 521 - 32 Milk and tissue lipid composition after feeding cows protected polyunsaturated fat for two years; Wrenn TR et al.; The long-term effects of feeding Holstein cows plant lipids protected from microbial hydrogenation in the rumen were studied . Of particular interest were cow health and changes in fatty acid and cholesterol concentrations of milk and meat . Safflower oil-casein or safflower oil-casein treated with formaldehyde to impede microbial attack were fed to two groups of three cows as 10% of the concentrate ration for two lactations . Production of milk fat of cows fed the protected concentrate increased significantly . Linoleic acid of milk fat was twice normal, providing a polyunsaturated milk . Cholesterol of milk or meat did not increase even though cholesterol of blood plasma was higher in both groups fed safflower oil than in control cows . Cardiovascular systems showed no marked abnormalities and no differences that could be due to treatment . All cows maintained normal health and milk production throughout the experiment. Lipids, 1977 Apr, 12(4), 393 - 7 Pancreatic and microbial lipases: a comparison of the interaction of pancreatic colipase with lipases of various origins; Canioni P et al.; Conjugated bile salts inhibit the the hydrolysis of triglycerides (TG) by the lipases from Rhizopus arrhizus and Geotrichum candidum . This occurs for detergent concentrations similar to those which suppress the action of mammalian pancreatic lipases upon the same substrates . However, in opposition with what is observed with the latter enzymes, the activity is not restored by the addition of pancreatic colipase . Both pancreatic and R . arrhizus lipases are inactivated at tributyrin/water interface, but only the first enzyme is protected against this surface denaturation by the pancreatic cofactor . These observations suggest that colipases synthesized in mammalian pancreas display specific interaction towards the lipases made by the same organ. J Hyg (Lond), 1977 Apr, 78(2), 261 - 73 Stool viruses in babies in Glasgow . I . Hospital admissions with diarrhoea; Madeley CR et al.; Stools from 183 babies under 2 years of age admitted to Ruchill Hospital with diarrhoea were examined by electron microscopy, virus culture, bacterial culture and light microscopy . As far as possible, several stools were examined from each patient and the results showed rotaviruses, astroviruses and other viruses in association with symptoms, as well as the expected bacterial pathogens . Examination of several stools from the same patient also showed that in this age group the viral flora of the gut changes rapidly and that the viruses seen by electron microscopy were only rarely grown in cell culture and vice versa . This phenomenon was particularly noted with adenoviruses . In 30% of cases no microbial pathogen was identified and in the remainder the presence of the infecting organism did not always coincide with the symptoms . It is concluded that, with viruses at least, presence of the organism does not constitute proof of causation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 1977 Apr, 74(4), 1683 - 7 Activation of the alternative complement pathway due to resistance of zymosan-bound; Fearon DT et al.; The surface of zymosan (Zy), by affording a protected microenvironment for C3b and the amplification convertase stabilized by properdin, P,C3b,Bb, shifts the alternative complement pathway from slow fluid phase turnover to the amplification phase of its expression . This mode of activation is in contradistinction to that of the classical pathway, which follows conversion of a proenzyme, Cl, to its active form, C1 . Under conditions in which the control proteins, C3b inactivator (C3bINA) and beta1H, completely, inactivated C3b on the sheep erythrocyte intermediate, EAC4b,3b, the activity of C3b bound to Zy,ZyC3b, was diminished by only one-third . Further, when ZyC3b was converted to ZyC3b,Bb,P there was an additional point of deregulation in that the convertase was resistant to beta1H-mediated decay-dissociation while P,C3b,Bb on the sheep erythrocyte exhibited the usual susceptibility to beta1H . That Zy alone could indeed promote rapid C3 cleavage by the alternative pathway through assembly and protection of the amplification convertase on its surface was demonstrated with a mixture of alternative pathway proteins, C3,B,D,P, C3bINA, and beta1H, that had each been purified to homogeneity . Interaction of these proteins at one-tenth their relative serum concentrations with Zy permitted low-grade inactivation of C3 and B to advance to the level of amplification after a 15 min lag period . Because the reaction of the purified proteins proceeded spontaneously when either regulatory protein was deleted, the effect of Zy was attributed to deregulation rather than to conversion of one of the proteins to a specific initiating state . The alternative pathway, through the normal presence of D, interacts with a microbial surface, such as Zy, to amplify deposition of C3b by circumvention of endogenous regulatory mechanisms, thereby augmenting host defense. Mikrobiologiia, 1977 Mar-Apr, 46(2), 277 - 82 {Optimal conditions for determing ATP of microbial origin}; Imshenetskii AA et al.; Endogenous luminescence of the luciferin-luciferase extract from firely tails was studied in determing low concentrations of ATP . The optimum concentration of the the extract, corresponding to the minumum effect of endogenous luminescence, was found in the reaction medium . The solution of luciferin-luciferase was unstable at room temperature and upon dilution . The activity of luciferin-luciferse solutions did not change after freezing in liquid nitrogen with following thawing . The content of ATP was assayed in the cells of Sarcina flava disintegrated with ultrasound. Mikrobiologiia, 1977 Mar-Apr, 46(2), 232 - 8 {Search for actinomycetes that produce inhibitors of proteolytic enzymes}; Bezborodov AM et al.; The inhibiting activity of filtrates of the cultural broth against trypsin and chymotrypsin was studied among 66 actinomycetes . The highest activity against trypsin was found, after selection, in the following cultures: Act . janthinus 118, Act . violatus 125, Act . violaceus confinus 2476, Act . violaceus vicinus 1074 . The antitrypsin activity was detected in the cultural broth of Act . janthinus 118 during the first day of its growth, and reached maximum by the third day . The inhibiting substance in the cultural broth is thermo- and pH-stable, is not extracted with organic solvents, and remains in the bag during dialysis . Apparently, the inhibitor (s) of trypsin produced by Act . janthinus 118 differes from trypsin inhibitors of microbial origin and low molecular weight which have been described so far. Antibiotiki, 1977 Mar, 22(3), 233 - 8 {Biochemical changes in the kidney cells of dogs after the intravenous administration of deoxycholate sodium (the nephrotoxic action of amphotericin B)}; Kravchenko LS; The effect of sodium desoxycholate on the plasmic membranes and chromatin of the dog kidney cells after its intravenous administration to the animals in a dose of 1.2 mg/kg equal to the content of sodium desoxycholate in the therapeutic preparation of amphotericin B once a day for 8 days was studied . It was shown that sodium desoxycholate did not induce any detactable shifts in the protein composition of the plasmic membranes . At the same time administration of sodium desoxycholate was accompanied by disorders in the fractions of the membrane-bound and free chromatin of the dog kidneys . It was found that sodium desoxycholate promoted binding of chromatin to the nuclear membrane, changed the chemical composition of the both fractions studied and damaged the spectrum of the histones of free chromatin . An analogous character of the effect on the above subcellular structures of the kidney tissue was observed with the used of amphotericin B . However, the level of the effect of the antibiotic complex with sodium desoxycholate on the above structures was more significant than that of sodium desoxycholate used alone . The data obtained were indicative of sodium desoxycholate toxicity in vivo and promoted elucidatio of the cause of amphotericin B toxic effect on microbial cells. Xenobiotica, 1977 Mar, 7(3), 133 - 43 Microbial models of mammalian metabolism O-demethylations of papaverine; Rosazza JP et al.; 1 . Papaverine is converted to its 4'-, 6- and 7-desmethyl metabolites when incubated with hepatic microsomal preparations from phenobarbital-induced rats . The 7-desmethyl compound was predominantly formed in these studes . When incubated with guinea-pig microsomal preparations, papaverine was converted to its 6- and 4'-desmethyl metabolites in approximately equal amounts . 2 . The O-demethylation of papaverine was studied with sixty micro-organisms . Ten organisms (including Aspergillus Cunninghamella and Streptomyces species) were found to actively metabolize this drug in a manner similar to that of mammals . 3 . A strain of Aspergillus alliaceus was used to produce gram quantitites of the mammalian metabolite, 6-desmethylpapaverine . Preparative amounts of 4'-desmethylpapaverine, a major mammalian metabolite of papaverine in vivo, was produced with a strain of Cunninghamella echinulata. J Bacteriol, 1977 Mar, 129(3), 1648 - 50 Death of microbial cells: rate constant calculations; Peled ON et al.; The previously published procedure for calculation of rate constants associated with the death of microbial cells is shown to be so sensitive to variation in experimental data as to render it impractical for this application . The only obvious modification to the published procedure met with only limited success . It is concluded that a fresh search should be undertaken for the solution to this fundamental problem . The success of such further attempts may depend upon an alternative description of the normal probability integral rather than upon refined experimentation. Antibiotiki, 1977 Mar, 22(3), 208 - 11 {Characteristics of determining the microbial contamination of penicillin series antibiotic powders and tablets}; Braginskaia PS et al.; Optimal conditions for determination of microbial contamination of drugs were studied on artificially contaminated powders and tablets of phenoxymethylpenicillin, ampicillin, oxacillin and dicloxacillin . The method of membrane filtration was the best for determination of the microbial contamination of the powders . However, it was not possible to wash out completely the antibiotic from the membrane filter . To prevent this it was necessary to add penicillinase into the nutrient medium onto which the filter was put for providing the microbial growth . For determination of microbial contamination of tablets direct plating of 3 per cent suspension of the tablet mass onto the surface of the nutrient medium with penicillinase was the best. Transplant Proc, 1977 Mar, 9(1), 729 - 39 Pathways of complement activation in membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis and allograft rejection; Fearon DT et al.; The complement system is comprised of at least 18 plasma proteins and consists of four functional divisions: two pathways for activation (classical and alternative), a common amplification mechanism for the activating pathways, and a final common effector pathway to which the activating and amplifying sequences are directed . The classical pathway is activated by certain antigen-antibody complexes, while the alternative pathway may be initiated non-immunologically by various microbial polysaccharides . Indeed, mixtures of purified C3, B, D, and P regulated to low-grade interaction by the presence of C3bINA and beta1 H respond to zymosan with amplified C3 and B inactivation . Both pathways form enzymes termed C3 convertases that cleave C3 to generate its major fragment, C3b . C3b interacts with each C3 convertase to permit C5 cleavage in activation of the effector complement sequence, and it interacts with alternative-pathway factors B and D to generate additional C3 convertase, C3bBb, in the amplification pathway . As C3 cleavage represents the most critical step in the elaboration of the biologic effects of the complement system, modulation of this reaction by generation, stabilization, and inactivation of the amplification convertase C3bBb may well determine whether initial activation of the complement sequence eventuates in beneficial or detrimental effects for the host . Initial generation of C3bBb is dependent on prior cleavage of C3, which may occur by the classical pathway or the alternative pathway . Stabilization of C3bBb is achieved with either P or C3NeF after their binding to C3b and C3bBb, respectively . Control of this amplifying step occurs at three levels: intrinsic decay of the inherently labile C3bBb complex, extrinsic decay-dissociation of Bb from the complex by beta1H, and inactivation of C3b by C3bINA . In the presence of stabilizing factors the control proteins must function in sequence, since C3bINA cannot act on C3bBb; beta1H-mediated decay of protective Bb must precede C3b inactivation by C3bINA . C3NeF, which is found in the sera of some patients with MPGN and persistent depressions of serum C3, circumvents all three controls because of its capacity to create a stabilized convertase that is relatively resistant to decay-dissociation by beta1H . The effector complement sequence is activated by cleavage of C3 and C5, which releases vasoactive and chemotactic peptides, C3a and C5a, and generates the major fragments C3b and C5b . C3b, in addition to its function in the amplifying reaction and the C5 convertases, mediates immune adherence to cells possessing membrane-associated receptors for C3b; this in turn promotes the phagocytic and secretory functions unique to each cell type . Cell-bound C5b serves to assemble the cytolytic complex C5b6789, while fluid-phase C5d generates the hemolytically inactive chemotactic complex C567d... Am Rev Respir Dis, 1977 Mar, 115(3), 479 - 514 Defense mechanisms of the respiratory membrane; Green GM et al.; The success or failure of pulmonary defense mechanisms largely determines the appearance of clinical lung disease . The lung is protected by interlucking systems of nonspecific and specific defenses . Inhaled substrances can be isolated by mechanical barriers or can be physically removed from the lung either by transport up the bronchial mucociliary escalator or by transport through interstitial and lymphatic channels leading to lymph nodes . Substances can be locally detoxified within the lung by interaction with secretory proteins, such as antibodies, or by neutralization and dissolution within phagocytic cells . The pulmonary alveolar macrophage is the central figure in the protection of the respiratory membrane, operating in all 3 of the nonspecific modes of defense and augmented by specific immunologic mechanisms as well . Alterations in macrophage function and physiology may be crucial in determining the effectiveness of pulmonary defense . Recent advances in the cell biology of the alveolar macrophage have led to a greater understanding of its complex funcition . The multiple origins of macrophages from local and circulating cell pools and the variability in their fate and lifespan reflect the multi-faceted role of this cell type . The importance of the interactions between macrophages, orther lung cells, and other defense mechanisms has become increasingly clear . As well as functioning as resident defender of the alveolus, the macrophage is an important effector of the pulmonary immune response and plays a key role in the pathogenesis of a wide variety of inflammatory, destructive, and fibrotic lung diseases . Humoral and cell-mediated immune responses amplify and direct lung defenses against infection and may also participate in protection against other agents . Immunoglobulin A and G, microbial neutralizing and opsonizing anti-bodies, and macrophage-stimulating T lymphocytes are the major immunospecific forms of lung defense . Infectious agents, cigarette smoke, air pollutants, industrial dusts, and a spectrum of coexistent disease states may impair pulmonary defense mechanisms and increase susceptibility to asute and chronic respiratory diseases . A thorough understanding of the ways in which the lung protects itself against the daily assault of infectious, toxic, and immunogenic materials should lead to a beter understanding of pathogenesis and consequences of lung disease and to better clinical care of the patient with respiratory disease. J Dent Res, 1977 Mar, 56(3), 198 - 204 Immune dysfunction and dental caries: a preliminary report; Cole MF et al.; This study was undertaken in order to correlate the immune status of persons with various types of immune dysfunctions with the incidence of dental caries . Preliminary data on caries experience and the microbial composition of plaque in these individuals are presented . The findings suggest that persons with immunoglobulin dysfunctions have a greater susceptibility to dental caries and have a greater frequency of harboring S mutans than do normal persons. Eur J Biochem, 1977 Feb 15, 73(1), 17 - 24 A single-strand-specific DNA-binding protein from mouse cells that stimulates DNA polymerase; Otto B et al.; A protein of 30000-35000 molecular weight was isolated from mouse ascites cells . This protein binds preferentially to single-stranded DNA . Evidence is presented that this protein maintains single-stranded DNA in an extended configuration . In the presence of single-stranded template the protein stimulates mammalian DNA polymerase alpha but not the mammalian DNA polymerase beta and not some microbial DNA polymerases . The protein is phosphorylated in vitro by a chromatin-associated protein kinase . The modified DNA-binding protein does not stimulate the DNA polymerase alpha. Appl Environ Microbiol, 1977 Feb, 33(2), 275 - 81 Effect of sulfate on carbon and electron flow during microbial methanogenesis in freshwater sediments; Winfrey MR et al.; The effect of sulfate on methane production in Lake Mendota sediments was investigated to clarify the mechanism of sulfate inhibition of methanogenesis . Methanogenesis was shown to be inhibited by the addition of as little as 0.2 mM sulfate . Sulfate inhibition was reversed by the addition of either H2 or acetate . Methane evolved when inhibition was reversed by H2 additions was derived from 14CO2 . Conversely, when acetate was added to overcome sulfate inhibition, the evolved methane was derived from {2-14C}acetate . A competition for available H2 and acetate was proposed as the mechanism by which sulfate inhibited methanogenesis . Acetate was shown to be metabolized even in the absence of methanogenic activity . In the presence of sulfate, the methyl position of acetate was converted to CO2 . The addition of sulfate to sediments did not result in the accumulation of significant amounts of sulfide in the pore water . Sulfate additions did not inhibit methanogenesis unless greater than 100 mug of free sulfide per ml was present in the pore water . These results indicate that carbon and electron flow are altered when sulfate is added to sediments . Sulfate-reducing organisms appear to assume the role of methanogenic bacteria in sulfate-containing sediments by utilizing methanogenic precursors. Fed Proc, 1977 Feb, 36(2), 198 - 202 Ruminal microbial yields: factors influencing synthesis and bypass; Owens FN et al.; Bacterial growth (protein production) in the rumen is typically limited by anaerobic energy supply . But the mass of bacteria produced per mole of ATP (YATP) varies markedly with turnover or growth rate of bacteria, availability of cell components, accumulation of ash or starch, and intraspecies transfer of reducing equivalents . Increased turnover rate of rumen contents appears to enhance bacterial protein production, increase ruminal acetate and methane production and increase bypass of fiber and concentrate components of the ration. Can J Microbiol, 1977 Feb, 23(2), 139 - 47 beta-Glucosidase: microbial production and effect on enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose; Sternberg D et al.; The enzymatic conversion of cellulose is catalyzed by a multiple enzyme system . The Trichoderma enzyme system has been studied extensively and has insufficient beta-glucosidase (EC 3.2.1.21) activity for the practical saccharification of celluose . The black aspergilli (A . niger and A . phoenicis) were superior producers of beta-glucosidase and a method for production of this enzyme in liquid culture is presented . When Trichoderma cellulase preparations are supplemented with beta-glucosidase from Aspergillus during practical saccharifications, glucose is the predominant product and the rate of saccharification is significantly increased . The stimulatory effect of beta-glucosidase appears to be due to the removal of inhibitory levels of cellobiose. Fed Proc, 1977 Feb, 36(2), 187 - 92 Dietary fiber components: relationship to the rate and extent of ruminal digestion; Mertens DR; A mathematical model can serve as a useful reference for describing the mechanisms involved in digestion and for discussing the factors that influence the rate and extent of ruminal digestion . Ruminal digestion can be divided into four components: digestion rate, digestion lag, potential extent of digestion, and passage rate . Each component affects the apparent extent of digestion in a distinct manner and is influenced by separate factors . Digestion rate is directly related to apparent extent of digestion . It is not influenced by chemical entities presently being measured, but may be related to the morphological, crystalline, or physical nature of fiber . It may also be influenced by factors that inhibit or stimulate ruman microbial growth and their fiber-degrading enzymes . Digestion lag is inversely related to apparent extent of digestion; however, factors influencing it are poorly defined . The may include factors affecting microbial populations and their attachment to fiber prior to digestion; or the digestion lag may be related to the chemical or physical alteration of fiber that must occur before digestion can begin . The potential extent of digestion is directly related to apparent extent of digestion and is influenced by plant fiber composition, primarily . Lignin, and possibly silica, functions to limit the potential extent of digestion . Rate of passage essentially competes with rate of digestion for fiber particles as they pass through the rumen; therefore it is inversely related to the apparent extent of digestion . Passage rate is associated with feed intake level and particle size, although other factors such as type of diet and animal physiology may be important. Zh Mikrobiol Epidemiol Immunobiol, 1977 Feb, (2), 111 - 7 {Reactogenicity and immunologic activity of live enteric Sonne dysentery vaccine from a spontaneous mutant}; Belaia IuA et al.; Live dysentery Sonne vaccine from a spontaneous mutant proved to be practically areactogenic and specifically harmless in oral immunization of children aged from 7 to 13 years, in doses of from 3 to 25 milliard live microbial cells and in single and triple immunization schemes . Weak reactions of the gastro-intestinal tract were noted with the same frequency (1.7%) in children immunized with the vaccine and in children given placebo (2.2%) . There proved to be a significant increase in the serum of the immunized persons of the level of specific hemagglutinins, and also of the IgA-and IgM-titers in 82% of the persons vaccinated; they persisted at a high level for 2 months . The appearance of IgA-antibodies in high titres in the persons vaccinated orally pointed to a marked local and general immunological activity of the live dysentery Sonne vaccine from the spontaneous mutant processing the capacity to survive in the intestine of children for a long time. Eur J Biochem, 1977 Feb, 72(3), 425 - 42 The primary structure of yeast alcohol dehydrogenase; Jornvall H; Eight different types of peptide mixtures from {14C}carboxymethylated yeast alcohol dehydrogenase were obtained using trypsin with or without prior maleylation of the substrate, chymotrypsin, pepsin, microbial proteases or CNBr . Each mixture was fractionated by exclusion chromatography and peptides were further purified on paper . From results of analyses of all fragments it seems possible to to deduce a primary structure of 347 unique residues in three segments . Together, the segments can account for the whole protein monomer with the exception of a small connecting region . Many unfavourable structures complicated the determination and made single sequence conclusions tentative, but known data are consistent and for most segments of the monomer results are abundant . Several microheterogeneities in the protein are indicated and one apparent amino acid exchange is characterized, suggesting that different types of subunits occur . This may probably be correlated with genetic polymorphism in yeast . Multiple desamidations are also characterized and a few of these affect particularly labile structures . Many residues are unevenly distributed and unexpected patterns are shown . Elements of repetitive sequences occur, reducing the uniqueness of structures . Hydrophobic segments are found, and the uncharacterized region is, at least in some subunits, in a core-like tryptic segment . These and other aspects of the structure may explain some properties of the monomer, and form the background for evolutionary, structural and functional correlations with related enzymes. J Med Chem, 1977 Feb, 20(2), 312 - 4 Synthesis and inhibition analysis of 2(4)-imino-4(2)-amino-2,4-dideoxyriboflavin, a dual antagonist of riboflavin and folinic acid; Chu CK et al.; The synthesis of the 2,4-diamino analogue of riboflavin is described . Inhibition analysis in a microbial assay system indicated that this compound has a weak antifolate activity that could be overcome with a minimal amount of folinic acid, but at higher concentrations both folinic acid and riboflavin were required for the reversal of its inhibitory effect. Arch Dermatol Res, 1977 Jan 31, 257(3), 273 - 9 On the physiology and biochemistry of the scalp and hair lipids; Gloor M et al.; Analyses were made of the scalp and hair lipids of 67 test persons . These were the most important results: 1 . Seborrhoea is caused on one hand by a high secretion performance of the sebaceous glands . A further cause is that a longer period of time passes before a constant lipid amount is established . 2 . There was an average of 19.32% of free fatty acids in the scalp and hair lipids on the 1st day after the hair was washed, and 38.68% on the 10th day . These results allow an assessment of the physiological significance of microbial lipolysis outside the secretory ducts of the sebaceous glands . 3 . On the hairy head the percentage of free fatty acids in the scalp and hair lipids is independent of the amount of lipids . Such a difference in the concentration of fatty acids as is found between seborrhoea oleosa and seborrhoea sicca on hairless skin can not be found on the hairy head. Biochim Biophys Acta, 1977 Jan 6, 459(1), 141 - 4 Evidence for involvement of the electron transport system at a late step of anaerobic microbial heme synthesis; Jacobs NJ et al.; The penultimate step in heme biosynthesis, the oxidation of protoporphyrinogen to protoporphyrin, can be anaerobically coupled to the reduction of fumarate in extracts of anaerobically-grown Escherichia coli . This coupling is approximately 90% inhibied by 2-heptyl-4-hydroxy quinoline-N-oxide (HQNO), a known inhibitor of the electron transport chain . This observation suggests that the mechanism of the anaerobic oxidation of protoporphyrinogen in E . coli involves a coupling into the anaerobic electron transport system . In contrast, the aerobic oxidation of protoporphyrinogen, which occurs in mammalian and yeast mitochondria, is known to be linked directly to oxygen without the mediation of an electron transport system. Folia Microbiol (Praha), 1977, 22(5), 376 - 85 Microbial activity in soil enriched with preparations of AS-lignin and lignofulvonic acid; Kunc F et al.; In chernozem soil, enriched with preparations of AS-lignin or lignofulvonic acid, an increased production of carbon dioxide was observed during a 4-week incubation, and, as compared with the non-amended control, an increased number of bacteria but not of actinomycetes was detected . Increased numbers of fungi were detected only in the variant with AS-lignin at the end of the incubation . The relative incidence of bacteria utilizing vanillin, syringic acid or protocatechuic acid as the only carbon sources increased in the enriched medium . Oxidation of vanillic acid, syringic acid and to a lesser extent of coumarin increased in suspensions of soils incubated with AS-lignin or fulvic acid . The results obtained indicate that bacteria are involved in the mineralization of the added substrates and confirm the relationship between metabolism of these compounds and simple aromatic derivatives. Arkh Patol, 1977, 39(6), 58 - 61 {Case of Goodpasture's syndrome}; Iaglinskii VA et al.; A case of Goodpasture's syndrome in a patient of 26 is described . The disease mainly involved the lungs and the kidneys . The development of the pneumo-renal syndrome in the patient was favoured by the occurrence of chronic focal diseases (rhinitis, otitis, sinusitis) which created opportunities for long-term microbial sensitization of the organs. Arkh Patol, 1977, 39(6), 49 - 55 {Ultrastructural changes in the liver in experimental diffuse peritonitis}; Fishbein AV et al.; Ultrastructural changes in the liver were studied on the 1st, 2nd, 4th and 8th days of the disease in random-bred dogs with induced diffuse microbial peritonitis . As early as on the 1st day of the disease considerable changes of hepatocytes, hepatic stroma, microcirculatory and bile tracts were detected . Dystrophic and necrobiotic changes in hepatic cells were most marked at 4-8 days of the disease . By the end of the 2nd day the edema of the hepatic stroma subsided, but subsequently it increased markedly . In microcirculatory tracts of the liver and greatest changes were found at 4-8 days in lymphatic capillaries, up to their complete blocking. Appl Environ Microbiol, 1977 Jan, 33(1), 26 - 30 Microbial transformation of 8-chloro-10,11-dihydrodibenz(b,f)(1,4)oxazepine by fungi; Jiu J et al.; The microbial transformation of 8-chloro-10,11-dihydrodibenz(b,f)(1,4)oxazepine (compound I) was undertaken to obtain new derivatives . Compound I was transformed by Hormodendrum sp . (NRRL 8133) to 8-chloro-10,11-dihydrodibenz(b,f)(1,4)oxazepine-11-one (compound II) and 2-(2-amino-4-chlorophenoxy)benzyl alcohol (compound IV) . Microbial cleavage of the nonaromatic ring to form compound IV was accomplished by several other fungi . Compound I was transformed to 8-chlorodibenz(b,f)(1,4)oxazepine (compound III) by Hormodendrum cladosporioides (NRRL 8132). J Clin Microbiol, 1977 Jan, 5(1), 106 - 7 Wall-less microbial isolate from a human renal biopsy; Fernandes PB et al.; An orgainsm was isolated from a kidney biopsy of a patient with renal failure . Electron microscopy revealed an ultrastructure very similar to that of a bacterial L-form or mycoplasma . But macroscopically, its colonial morphology was unusual and distinct from that ascribed to these wall-less organisms . This isolate lacked a rigid cell wall and required a hypertonic medium with serum for growth . Also, a long incubation period was essential for its growth, and use of hand lens was necessary for detection on solid medium. Vet Med Nauki, 1977, 14(10), 57 - 65 {Veterinary health examination of the microclimate of the cow complex in the Vidin district}; Petkov G et al.; Studied was the dynamics of the microclimate at the cow complexes in the district of Vidin, where cows are raised of the Dutch Black Pied, Bulgarian Simmental, and Bulgarian Red cattle breeds . The temperature and relative humidity dynamics of the air was followed up as well as the values of ammonia gas and carbon dioxide, the microbial contamination, the coefficient of natural illumination, and the level of noise . The effectiveness of the ventilation system was assessed by direct and indirect criteria as suggested by the authors . The veterinary and sanitary evaluation by individual elements of the microclimate is carried out on the basis of normative documents in the People's Republic of Bulgaria, USSR, and GDR. Z Allg Mikrobiol, 1977, 17(7), 531 - 42 A mathematical model of microbial growth including an intermediate . I . Growth in batch cultures; Petrova TA et al.; A mathematical model of microbial growth is presented and examined which, in contrast to the well-known MONOD model, includes transitions from one cell "bottle-neck" to another . This is achieved by introducing an intermediate product in the model . Three variants of the model for different regulatory functions of the intermediate are considered . The results permit to describe a set of experimentally observable microbial growth curves . According to the model, the shape of the growth curves, the kinetics of substrate consumption and changes of intermediate concentration depend on culture prehistory and the nature of the intermediate regulatory function. J Hyg Epidemiol Microbiol Immunol, 1977, 21(1), 84 - 94 Isolation and immunochemical characteristics of the immunodepressive substance from Escherichia coli; Stanislavsky ES et al.; A substance, inhibiting the production of haemolysins against sheep erythrocytes in mice was isolated from two non-pathogenic strains of E . coli, 020:K4 and M-17, by the methods of differential centrifugation and gel filtration . Spectrophotometric studies and chemical analysis have shown the isolated substance to be glycolipid . The immunodepressive substance is localized in the cytoplasm of the microbial cell . The isolated and partly purified immunodepressive substance did not contain any admixture of O-antigen (endotoxin) of the cell wall or of antigens giving cross reactions with sheep erythrocytes . The isolated substance exhibited weak antigenic properties and was not toxic for mice when administered in a dose of 2 mg (dry weight). Clin Toxicol, 1977, 10(1), 79 - 109 In vitro mutagenesis assays as predictors of chemical carcinogenesis in mammals; Brusick DJ; In vitro microbial mutagenesis assays coupled with mammalian activation systems offer promising technique to screen chemicals for their potential carcinogenic activity . The correlation between mutagenic and carcinogenic properties for a large array of chemicals is approximately 0.9 . The best correlation exists for those carcinogens which are themselves highly electrophilic or produce electrophilic metabolites . Correlation between mutagenicity and carcinogenicity for hormonal, metallic, or physical carcinogens has been disappointing but not unexpected based on their proposed mechanisms of action . In addition to the application of in vitro mutagenesis techniques to screening chemicals for the identification of potential carcinogens, they are useful tools for investigating genetic, biochemical, and pharmacologic properties of different animal species . Studies with the chemical carcinogen dimethylnitrosamine have been conducted and show a functional relationship between mutagenesis and carcinogenesis . The assays can also be conducted using activation systems prepared from the tissues of any mammalian species . This permits a direct assessment of phylogenic extrapolation by comparing the metabolic activation capabilities of tissues from several mammalian species, including human samples . The advantages of mutagenicity testing are the short period of time required for results, the high sensitivity of the assay (microgram of nanogram quantities of chemicals can be used), and the fact that the ultimate agent can be detected biologically without first necessitating chemical identification and isolation . It appears from current studies that in vitro mutagenesis techniques may well open new avenues of investigation into some old toxicologic problems. Acta Univ Carol Med Monogr, 1977, (77 Pt 1), 119 - 23 Digestive enzymes of the mucosa of the small intestine and trypsin and chymotrypsin proteolytic activity of the intestinal contents of germ-free, monocontaminated and conventional rabbits; Malis F et al.; The activity of the membrane-bound enzymes of the microvillous zone of the entreocytes (maltase, sucrase, trehalase, lactase, cellobiase, alkaline phosphatase and leucylaminopeptidase) was studied in mucosal smears from the proximal jejunum, ileum, caecum and sigmoid flexure in a group of control (C) (8) and germ-free (GF) (7) rabbits . The trypsin and chymotrypsin activity of the contents of the ileum, caecum and sigmoid flexure was studied in 6 C, 5 GF and 5 monocontaminated (MC) rabbits . In summing up it can be stated that the individual membrane-bound enzymes have a different gradient in the various intestinal segments of C and GF rabbits and that they differ reciprocally in character . The maximum statistically significant differences between GF and C rabbits were found in the ileum; in the jejunum they were somewhat smaller and in the caecum smaller still