Impact of pre-culture on short- and long-term in vitro recovery of the biosynthetic potential and enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant defense of Hypericum rumeliacum Boiss. after cryostorage

Due to its high hypericin and pseudohypericin in vitro biosynthetic capacity, the Balkan endemic Hypericum rumeliacum was selected as a prospective candidate for long-term preservation of valuable medicinal plant germplasm. Initial cryopreservation experiments were previously conducted based on the successful protocol established and reported for the widely studied H. perforatum. This is the first report on the impact of pre-culture duration on the short- and long-term in vitro recovery of the biosynthetic potential and antioxidant defense system of H. rumeliacum cryopreserved by vitrification. Cryopreservation did not impair the phenolics and flavonoids production of the regenerated plants. Moreover, hypericin and pseudohypericin levels even increased substantially in one of the regenerated lines, reaching yields from 0.107 and 0.752?mg?g^?1?DW in the control up to 0.277 and 1.112?mg?g^?1?DW for hypericin and pseudohypericin, respectively. However, the physical injury stress of the pre-culture treatment manipulations affected the physiological status of regenerants in a time dependent manner. Within 6?months after thawing, regenerants with the highest oxidative stress after pre-culture, were characterized with an augmentation of antioxidant metabolites such as phenolics, flavonoids, glutathione and ascorbic acid as well as increased antioxidant enzymatic activities in comparison with both the non-frozen control and the regenerants with the lowest pre-culture oxidative stress. Then, after 18?months of recovery, the same first H. rumeliacum group displayed a marked drop of enzymatic antioxidant activity as compared with the other groups of plants. Further research is needed to target oxidative stress alleviation to optimize H. rumeliacum cryopreservation protocol.     

Mechanism of action of N-acetylglucosaminyl-N-acetylmuramylalanyl-D-isoglutamine on the nonspecific anti-infection resistance of mice

The stimulating influence of glucose-containing muramyldipeptide (GMDP) on the nonspecific resistance of mice was shown to depend on the features of the pathogenesis of the infection. Thus, the intraperitoneal injection of GMDP increased the survival rate of mice infected with Escherichia coli, but had no stimulating effect on the resistance of the animals to Salmonella typhimurium natural infection in whose pathogenesis macrophages played an essential role. Experiments demonstrated that GMDP was capable of enhancing the ingestive function of macrophages, but did not increase their bactericidal activity with respect to this infection.     

Taxonomic identification of gram-negative nonfermenting microorganisms in environmental research

The scheme for the identification of Gram-negative nonfermenting microorganisms is proposed. The scheme comprises the most important key signs, such as the cytochrome oxidase reaction determined by the method of Gaby and Hadley, the oxidation/fermentation test, maltose oxidation and motility, as well as additional key signs, among them gelatinase activity, the oxidation of 10% lactose, nitratase activity with the liberation of free nitrogen, the utilization of the sources of carbon and energy (glucose and sodium acetate) in limited media containing ammonium salts and nitrates as the sources of nitrogen. Additional tests for the identification of nonfermenting microorganisms similar in their main key signs are also recommended.     

Modulation of alkaline phosphatase activity in alveolar type II like cells

Summary Alveolar type II like cells (ALT II) represent a small subpopulation of alveolar type II cells, which is able to proliferate, can be passaged and possess many characteristics of differentiated adult type II cells. A correlation was found between the growth and development of ALT II cells in culture and their alkaline phosphatase activity. Unlike alveolar type II cells, which lose the activity in culture, ALT II cells regain the activity and maintain it for a long culture period. Quantitative histochemical analysis of the stained cells indicate that 80% of the cells at days 15–20 in culture are alkaline phosphatase positive. Inhibition studies indicate that alkaline phosphatase from ALT II cells and freshly isolated type II cells were similar. The inhibition of ALT II alkaline phosphatase byl-levamisole and its heat stability are similar to that of the bone enzyme and differ from the intestinal enzyme. Alkaline phosphatase expression is considered part of the differentiated phenotype of these cells. Therefore, the presence of this enzyme in ALT II cells adds support to the notion that these cells maintain many aspects of mature alveolar type II cells.     

Alveolar type II-like cell colonies: effect of alveolar macrophages and macrophage-conditioned media

Alveolar type II-like colonies were obtained after a low density plating (5 X 10(3)/60 mm tissue culture dish) of primary type II cells. These colonies were formed only when type II cells were either cocultured with alveolar macrophages or with conditioned media generated by alveolar macrophages. Cells in the colonies appeared homogeneous and kept their lamellar bodies over a period of 8 weeks and more, as observed by electron microscopy. These cells reacted immunocytochemically with antibodies directed against the 32-38 kDa protein fractions of rat surfactant.     

The interaction of phagocytes and the large-sized parasite Cryptococcus neoformans: Cytochemical and ultrastructural study

Summary The yeast Cryptococcus neoformans may develop under certain conditions a large polysaccharide capsule 50–100 M in diameter and therefore cannot be phagocytosed by either polymorphonuclear cells (PMN's) or mononuclear phagocytes (MN's). The cellular defense mechanism — in various animals — against the yeast is composed by formation of ringlike structure of PMN's or MN's cells which surround the C. neoformans. Ring structures develop either in vivo or in vitro in tissue culture; destruction of the yeast occurs within 36–72 hours.Several hydrolases, such as acid phosphatase, -glucuronidase and non-specific esterase were found to be released from the phagocytic cells into the enclosed yeast. Considerable reduction of NBT used as a marker for oxidative activity was observed in MN rings at contact regions of the MN cells and the yeast. Electron microscopic studies indicate that the phagocytic cells in the ring structure have many pseudopodes penetrating into the polysaccharide capsule of the yeast. Disintegration of the capsule was observed as well as phagocytosis of its material. A possible analogy between normal phagocytosis of small-sized bodies and the ring structure obtained when large bodies are involved is discussed.     

A quantitative study of the validity of the histochemical demonstration for pyridine nucleotide-linked dehydrogenases

Summary A quantitative histochemical and biochemical study has been made of the loss of pyridine nucleotide-linked dehydrogenases from frozen histological sections of rat liver. Glucose-6-phosphate, 6-phosphogluconate and lactate dehydrogenases were lost rapidly from the sections during incubation in the histochemical medium, but -OH-butyrate dehydrogenase was lost at a much slower rate. It was shown that a dehydrogenase reaction can occur in a section lacking that particular dehydrogenase if the section is incubated in the presence of another containing the dehydrogenase. The validity of the tetrazolium reaction for demonstrating pyridine-nucleotide-linked dehydrogenases is considered in the light of these results.     

Variability in gold bead density in cells

Summary Variability in gold bead distribution between individual cells was demonstrated in both pituitary melanotrophic cells immunocytochemically reacted for ACTH and in neurohypophysia terminals reacted for oxytocin-neurophysin. Gold beads were confined to the secretory granules compartment of both tissues. Density of gold beads in melanotrophic cells reacted for ACTH varied from 100–480 gold beads/m². A much narrower range of gold beads distribution (460–900 gold beads/m²) was observed in axons of the neurohypophysis reacted with anti-oxytocin-neurophysin. These results indicate that the labeling density varies from cell to cell (as well as axon terminals) within morphologically homogeneous population. Thus, it may reflect certain physiological differences between cells. A suggestion is being made that mean gold bead density coefficient of variation should be calculated by comparison between individual cells.