Sensitivity of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains to some antibiotics, antiseptics and disinfectants

The effects of antibiotics, antiseptics and disinfectants against some methicillin resistant (MRSA) and methicillin-sensitive (MSSA) Staphylococcus aureus strains have been studied. The MRSA and MSSA strains were equally sensitive to phenols, esters of para(4)-hydroxybenzoit acid and chlorhexidine but MRSA strains were slightly more resistant to quaternary ammonium compounds and considerably more so to dibromopropamidine isothionate. Some MRSA strains were also resistant to phenylmercuric nitrate (but not another organomercurial, thiomersal), mercuric chloride and cadmium chloride. All MRSA strains produced β-lactamase. Strains from the Royal Free Hospital, London were highly resistant to β-lactam antibiotics, erythromycin, trimethoprim and tetracyctines but were sensitive to other antibiotics. One strain from the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff was resistant to gentamicin but sensitive to tetracycline and trimethoprim.     

Growth and reproduction of the Nile perch,Lates niloticus,an introduced predator,in the Nyanza Gulf,Lake Victoria,East Africa

Synopsis Length-frequency data suggest Nile perch, Lates niloticus, from the Nyanza Gulf grew to a total length of 9 cm by age 118 days and 23 cm by age 287 days. A modified von Bertalanffy growth curve _t = 1.35·L(1-e^–K(t-t _o)) with the parameters L = 93.1, K = 0.272 and t_o = 0.046, is suggested to describe growth up to 5 years of age and the relationship _t = 1.35·(31.96 + 7.681t) for fish aged 6 years and above. Length-weight relationships were = 0.0234·-gt^2.74 for fish between 7 and 15.9 cm total length, = 0.0151·^2.94 for fish between 16 and 45.9 cm total length, and = 0.0023·^3.44 for fish between 46 and 120 cm total length. Male Nile perch first matured between 50 and 55 cm total length when they were probably 2 years old; female Nile perch first matured between 80 and 85 cm total length when they were probably 4 years old. Small males were common, large males were rare, with the reverse holding for females. Sex change, from male to female, is a possible explanation for this size dimorphism.     

Testicular expression of PC4 in the rat: molecular diversity of a novel germ cell-specific Kex2/subtilisin-like proprotein convertase.

The rat cDNA sequence of PC4 (rPC4), representing a new member of the Kex2/subtilisin-like proprotein convertases, demonstrated the presence of at least three rPC4 mRNAs resulting in the production of rPC4-A (654 amino acids), rPC4-B (619 amino acids), and rPC4-C (609 amino acids) with different C-terminal sequences. Analogous to rat PC4, three cDNAs were also found for the mouse PC4. The observed molecular diversity of PC4 mRNA possibly results from the differential splicing and/or exon skipping of the parent gene. PC4 mRNA, with a major form at 2.8 kilobases, was highly abundant in the rat testis but could not be detected by Northern analysis in any other tissues including the central nervous system and peripheral tissues. Testicular cell separation studies combined with Northern analysis indicate the high expression levels of PC4 in germ cells but not in Leydig, Sertoli, or peritubular cells. In situ hybridization histochemistry confirms the site of PC4 gene expression as the pachytene spermatocytes and the round spermatids but not in the elongating spermatids. We also demonstrate the colocalization of PC4 with proenkephalin in testicular germ cells by in situ hybridization. A study of the ontogeny of PC4 indicated that PC4 mRNA was first expressed postnatally between days 19 and 22, coinciding with the first stages of spermiogenesis. The stage-specific expression of PC4 in testis indicates its potential role in the developmental maturation of germ cells and that this convertase may play a specific physiological function in reproduction.     

The effect of the enantiomers of ibuprofen and flurbiprofen on the beta-oxidation of palmitate in the rat.

The effects of the enantiomers of ibuprofen (0.25 and 0.50 mmol/kg b.w.) and flurbiprofen (0.01, 0.03, and 0.06 mmol/kg b.w.) on the beta-oxidation of palmitate were investigated in the rat. The mean cumulative exhalation of 14CO2 after ip administration of [U-14C]palmitic acid was significantly reduced over 6 h by ibuprofen at the higher dose but not at the lower dose for either enantiomer. There was no difference between the enantiomers, the reduction over 6 h being 31.3 and 33.0% for (R)- and (S)-ibuprofen, respectively. There was also a significant inhibition of beta-oxidation by flurbiprofen at all 3 doses. Again, there was no stereoselectivity evident in this inhibition. Flurbiprofen was much more potent than ibuprofen in eliciting this effect, the 0.01mmol/kg dose giving a similar reduction in beta-oxidation as observed for the 0.50 mmol/kg dose of ibuprofen. The data support the hypothesis that inhibition of the in vivo beta-oxidation of palmitate by ibuprofen and flurbiprofen is primarily via a nonstereoselective noncoenzyme A-dependent mechanism.     

The sensitivities of SV40-transformed human fibroblasts to monofunctional and DNA-crosslinking alkylating agents.

4 repair-deficient (Mer-) and 2 repair-proficient (Mer+) lines of SV40-transformed human fibroblasts were assayed for colony-forming ability after treatment with MNNG, methyl methanesulfonate (MMS), 1,3-bis-(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (BCNU), and 1-(2-chloroethyl)-3-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-nitrosourea (HECNU). The sensitivities to MMS, BCNU and HECNU of these SV40-transformed lines were similar to those of comparably treated human tumor cells observed previously. However, unlike human tumor lines, whose post-MNNG survival is strongly dependent upon Mer phenotype, SV40-transformed lines showed a lack of dependence of post-MNNG colony-forming ability on Mer phenotype. No differences in glutathione levels that might explain these differences were detected. The amounts of SV40-specific DNA and RNA among the lines were found to vary widely, but no correlation with Mer phenotype was found.     

Limitations of Photosynthesis in Pinus taeda L. (Loblolly Pine) at Low Soil Temperatures

The relative importance of stomatal and nonstomatal limitations to net photosynthesis (A) and possible signals responsible for stomatal limitations were investigated in unhardened Pinus taeda seedlings at low soil temperatures. After 2 days at soil temperatures between 13 and 7°C, A was reduced by 20 to 50%, respectively. The reduction in A at these moderate root-chilling conditions appeared to be the result of stomatal limitations, based on the decrease in intercellular CO₂ concentrations (c_i). This conclusion was supported by A versus c_i analysis and measurements of O₂ evolution at saturating CO₂, which suggested increases in stomatal but not biochemical limitations at these soil temperatures. Nonuniform stomatal apertures, which were demonstrated with abscisic acid, were not apparent 2 days after root chilling, and results of our A versus c_i analysis appear valid. Bulk shoot water potential (ψ) declined as soil temperature dropped below 16°C. When half the root system of seedlings was chilled, shoot ψ and gas-exchange rates did not decline. Thus, nonhydraulic root-shoot signals were not implicated in stomatal limitations. The initial decrease in leaf conductance to water vapor after root chilling appeared to precede any detectable decrease in bulk fascicle ψ, but may be in response to a decrease in turgor of epidermal cells. These reductions in leaf conductance to water vapor, which occurred within 30 minutes of root chilling, could be delayed and temporarily reversed by reducing the leaf-to-air vapor-pressure deficit, suggesting that hydraulic signals may be involved in initiating stomatal closure. By independently manipulating the leaf-to-air vapor-pressure deficit of individual fascicles, we could induce uptake of water vapor through stomata, suggesting that nonsaturated conditions occur in the intercellular airspaces. There was an anomaly in our results on seedlings maintained for 2 days at soil temperatures below 7°C. Lower A appeared primarily the result of nonstomatal limitations, based on large increases in calculated c_i and A versus c_i analysis. In contrast, measurements of O₂ evolution at saturating CO₂ concentrations implied nonstomatal limitations per se did not increase at these temperatures. One explanation for this paradox is that calculations of c_i are unreliable at very low gas-exchange rates because of inadequate measurement resolution, and limitations of A are predominantly stomatal. An alternative interpretation is that increases in c_i are real and the results from O₂-evolution measurements are in error. The high CO₂ concentration used in O₂-evolution measurements (15%) may have overcome nonstomatal limitations by enzymes that were down-regulated by a feedback mechanism. In this scenario, carbohydrate feedback limitations may be responsible for nonstomatal reductions in A after 2 days at soil temperatures below 7°C.     

Studies on the biosynthesis of tropane alkaloids in Datura stramonium L. transformed root cultures

The relative contributions made by the l-arginine/agmatine/N-carbamoylputrescine/putrescine and the l-ornithine/putrescine pathways to hyoscyamine formation have been investigated in a transformed root culture of Datura stramonium. The activity of either arginine decarboxylase (EC 4.1.1.19) or ornithine decarboxylase (EC 4.1.1.17) was suppressed in vivo by using the specific irreversible inhibitors of these activities, dl--difluoromethylarginine or dl--difluoromethylornithine, respectively. It was found that suppression of arginine decarboxylase resulted in a severe decrease in free and conjugated putrescine and in the putrescine-derived intermediates of hyoscyamine biosynthesis. In contrast, the suppression of ornithine decarboxylase activity stimulated an elevation of arginine decarboxylase and minimal loss of metabolites from the amine and alkaloid pools. The stimulation of arginine decarboxylase was not, however, sufficient to maintain the same potential rate of putrescine biosynthesis as in control tissue. It is concluded that (i) in Datura the two routes by which putrescine may be formed do not act in isolation from one another, (ii) arginine decarboxylase is the more important activity for hyoscyamine formation, and (iii) the formation of polyamines is favoured over the biosynthesis of tropane alkaloids. An interaction between putrescine metabolism and other amines is also indicated from a stimulation of tyramine accumulation seen at high levels of dl--difluoromethylornithine.Abbreviations ADC arginine decarboxylase - DFMA dl--dif-luoromethylarginine - DFMO dl--difluoromethylornithine - MPO N-methylputrescine oxidase - ODC ornithine decarboxylase - PMT putrescine N-methyltransferase We are indebted to Dr. E.W.H. Bohme of Merrell Dow Research Laboratories (Cincinnati, Ohio, USA) for kind gifts of DFMO and DFMA and to Dr. M.J.C. Rhodes for helpful advice and discussion.