Antigenic relationships among five reovirus-like (RVL) agents by complement fixation (CF) and development of new substitute CF antigens for the human RVL agent of infantile gastroenteritis.

The human reovirus-like (HRVL) agent, Nebraska calf diarrhea virus (NCDV), epizootic diarrhea of infant mice (EDIM) virus, simian agent (SA)-11, and the "O" (offal) agent were found to be similar, if not identical, in reciprocal complement fixation (CF) tests employing hyperimmune animal sera. In addition, in CF tests with paired sera from 35 diarrhea patients who shed the HRVL agent, 74% developed serologic evidence of infection with the HRVL antigen, 43% with NCDV, 51% with EDIM virus, 57% with SA-11, and 71% with the "O" agent. Thus, in addition to the NCDV, which had previously been described as a suitable substitute CF antigen for the HRVL agent, the SA-11, "O", and EDIM viruses may also be utilized as substitute antigens for the HRVL agent. However, the "O" agent appears to be the most efficient of the four substitute CF antigens and thus should be used preferentially when the HRVL agent is not available. The "O" agent was about as efficient as the HRVL agent and significantly more efficient than the NCDV for detecting seroresponses. The greatest efficiency for detecting infection with the HRVL agent resulted when sera were tested with both the HRVL and "O" agents as 31 (89%) of the patients developed serologic evidence of infection with one or both antigens. The finding of additional substitute CF antigens for the HRVL agent may have implications in the immunoprophylaxis against human disease.     

Adenylate and guanylate cyclases of cecropia silkmoth fat body.

Adenylate and guanylate cyclases were assayed in silkmoth fat body homogenates by measuring the conversion of [α-³²P]nucleoside triphosphates to cyclic [³²P]nucleotides. Adenylate cyclase was dependent on dithiothreitol, required either Mg²⁺ or Mn²⁺ for activity, was activated by NaF, and inhibited by triton X-100. Guanylate cyclase was not dependent on dithiothreitol, was strictly dependent upon Mn²⁺, unaffected by NaF, and activated by triton X-100. Both cyclases had pH optima near 8.0 and were located chiefly in the particulate fraction of homogenates. Activities of both cyclases were maintained or elevated during the larval-pupal transformation and, in contrast to cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases, showed little decline in the early diapausing pupa.     

Variation and taxonomy of Pyxidanthera (Diapensiaceae)

Brittonia - Morphological and ecological studies of seven populations ofPyxidanthera barbulata Michx. in North and South Carolina indicate that the variation among populations is clinal and...     

Relationships between platelet and plasma monoamine oxidase,plasma dopamine-B-hydroxylase,and urinary 3-methoxy-4-hydroxy phenylglycol

The activity of dopamine-B-hydroxylase in blood has recently been demonstrated to be under genetic control and to correlate closely with urinary catecholamine excretion. The results of the present study did not demonstrate any relationship between a major catecholamine metabolite in urine, 3-methoxy-4-hydroxy phenylglycol, and dopamine-B-hydroxylase activity in plasma, monoamine oxidase activity in platelets, or monoamine oxidase activity in plasma. Differences in the origin of urinary catecholamines and urinary 3-methoxy-4-hydroxy phenyglycol may be responsible for these divergent results.     

MASS FRAGMENTOGRAPHIC DETERMINATION OF SOME ACIDIC AND ALCOHOLIC METABOLITES OF BIOGENIC AMINES IN THE RAT BRAIN

—A mass fragmentographic procedure is described for the simultaneous quantification of a number of deaminated metabolites derived from tyramine, octopamine, dopamine, and norepinephrine. With this method, several of the metabolites were measured in normal rat brain. The results support the central nervous system origin of tyramine, octopamine and their metabolites. The concentration of the dopamine metabolite, homovanillic acid, in the rat brain was found to be about 15% higher than that of dihydroxyphenylacetic acid. As for the metabolites of norepinephrine, vanilmandelic acid concentration was found to be about 5% that of 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol. The possible role of vanilmandelic acid in the CNS metabolism of norephrine is discussed.     

Effect of coccidiosis on blood coagulation in broilers

Severe infection with Eimeria acervulina, Eimeria maxima, Eimeria necatrix, and Eimeria tenella increased the prothrombin times in broilers compared with the times in uninfected birds. Recalcification time was not affected. The increase in prothrombin time was related to the severity of infection (as measured by lesion score), and was significant (P less than or equal to 0.05) only in the most severely infected birds. The increase was of short duration, lasting only 1 or 2 days, and first appeared on day 5 or 6 postinoculation. Restricting the feed intake of uninoculated birds to the amount of feed consumed by infected birds showed that the reduction in feed intake with coccidiosis was not responsible for the increase in prothrombin time.