Role of cell-mediated immunity in the resistance to experimental sporotrichosis in mice

The in vitro activity of several new imidazoles, cloconazole, sulconazole, butoconazole, isoconazole and fenticonazole, were compared with those of amphothericin B, flucytosine, and three azoles: econazole, miconazole and ketoconazole against isolates of pathogenic Candida. A total of 186 clinical isolates of 10 species of the genus Candida and two culture collection strains were tested by an agar-dilution technique. Isoconazole was the most active azole, followed by butoconazole and sulconazole. Differences between some of the species in their susceptibility to the antifungal agents were noted. Sulconazole and cloconazole had the highest activity in vitro against 106 isolates of C. albicans. Butoconazole and isoconazole were also very active against isolates of C. albicans, and were the most active azole compounds against 80 isolates of Candida spp.     

Action of hydroxyethyl starch on the flow properties of human erythrocyte suspensions

Hydroxyethyl starch (HES) has often been used as a plasma expander, but questions still remain concerning the mechanisms by which it produces changes in the rheological properties of blood and erythrocyte (RBC) suspensions under various flow conditions. The present investigation has shown that the dynamic viscosity of HES (232,000 and 565,000 daltons) solutions rises in a nonlinear fashion with increasing HES concentration, and for a given concentration of HES exhibits Newtonian behavior at shear rates between 0.15 to 124 sec-1. At low (less than 0.9 sec-1) shear rates the apparent viscosity of a 40% RBC suspension increases with lower concentrations of HES because of RBC aggregation. At higher concentrations of HES, increases in suspension viscosity are due to an increase in the viscosity of the continuous phase since the RBC are largely disaggregated. At high (greater than 36 sec-1) shear rates the relative viscosity (eta/eta O) of RBC suspensions slowly decreases with increasing HES concentration. At low shear rates eta/eta O increases and then decreases with increasing HES concentration. Evidence of the concentration-dependent effects of HES on RBC aggregation is provided not only by the viscometric analysis but also from measurements of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and the zeta sedimentation ratio (ZSR). HES is a more potent aggregating agent in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) than it is in plasma. Polymer size has only a slight effect on the extent of RBC aggregation produced, but does have a significant effect on the concentration of polymer at which maximum aggregation occurs. The viscosity-corrected electrophoretic mobility of RBC in HES rises monotonically with the concentration of HES in the suspending medium. Decreases in the extent of RBC aggregation with increasing polymer concentrations probably result from an increase in the electrostatic repulsive forces between the cells.     

Human natural killer cell activity is reversibly inhibited by antagonists of lipoxygenation

We here demonstrate that NK cell activity by human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) against K562 or MOLT-4 target cells is rapidly and reversibly inhibited by two agents that inhibit the lipoxygenation of fatty acids, BW755C and nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA). Natural killing by nonadherent PBMC was similarly inhibited by both agents, indicating that monocytes were not required for the effect. The inhibition of natural killing was not seen with indomethacin at concentrations that inhibit prostaglandin synthesis but not the lipoxygenation of arachidonic acid. Moreover, indomethacin did not alter inhibition by either BW755C or NDGA. Thus, suppression of natural killing by these agents was not mediated by the effects on prostaglandin synthesis; neither agent inhibited target cell binding. These results suggest that products of lipoxygenation are required for target cell lysis by human NK cells.     

DETERMINATION OF GUSTATORY SUCROSE THRESHOLD IN WATER BY USE OF A LINEAR SUCROSE GRADIENT

A novel experimental method was developed which allows the determination of the threshold concentration of sucrose by use of a linear sucrose gradient in water. With this method a continuous tasting of the test-liquid is possible. A panel of 15 persons experienced in taste-testing was used. Three gradients of different steepness were applied: 0 to 1.5% (w/w) sucrose in 2 min (I), 3 min (II) and 4 min (III). The results of the new method were compared with those of the standard method (DIN). With gradients I and II we found values which were significantly higher than those of the standard method (I: 0.49% (w/w); II: 0.46% (w/w); DIN: 0.31% (w/w)), whereas with gradient III the same threshold value was found as with the DIN-Method (III: 0.32% (w/w)).     

Caveat emptor: rank transform methods and interaction

When distributional assumptions for analysis of variance are suspect, and nonparametric methods are unavailable, ecologists frequently employ rank transformation (RT) methods. The technique replaces observations by their ranks, which are then analysed using standard parametric tests. RT methods are widely recommended in statistics texts and in manuals for packages like SAS and IMSL. They are robust and powerful for the analysis of additive factorial designs. Recently, however, RT methods have been found to be grossly inappropriate for use with non-additive models. This severe limitation remains largely unreported outside of the theoretical statistics literature. Our goal is to explain this shortcoming of RT methods.     

A new species of Polystoma (Monogenea: Polystomatidae) parasitic in Hyperolius marmoratus (Anura: Hyperoliidae) in South Africa

Polystoma marmorati n. sp. is described as a new polystomatid species parasitic in the urinary bladder of the painted reed frog Hyperolius marmoratus marmoratus collected in southern Natal, South Africa. Parasite prevalence varied from 14.5 to 47.4% and the mean intensity from 1.0 to 1.1. The hamuli of the new species have a characteristic, partly fragmented appearance, a feature also seen in Polystoma batchvarivi, the only other polystome described from a species of the genus Hyperolius. The similarity between the two species, in spite of their geographical separation, is commented upon.     

INTERSPECIFIC TRANSFORMATION IN BACILLUS

Marmur, J. (Brandeis University, Waltham, Mass.), E. Seaman, and J. Levine. Interspecific transformation in Bacillus. J. Bacteriol. 85:461-467. 1963.-Deoxyribonucleic acids (DNA) from various species of the taxonomic group Bacillaceae were examined for base composition, ability to carry out interspecific transformation, and formation of molecular hybrids in vitro. The minimal requirement for genetic compatibility among different species and for DNA interaction (both reflecting base sequence homologies) is the similarity of the guanine plus cytosine contents of the DNA. The close correlation between the ability of DNA to be competent in interspecific transformation and to form hybrid molecules on denaturation and annealing provided a rational approach to the study of genetic relationship among organisms for which no genetic exchange has yet been demonstrated. Any or all of the criteria (base composition of DNA, transformation, molecular hybrid formation) can be used as tools in the taxonomic assessment of closely related microorganisms.