Human intestinal parasites in Subsaharan Africa. I. Eastern Boè and Canhabaque Island (Guinea-Bissau)

A coprological survey was carried out in 1982-1983 in East Boè and in Canhabaque Island, (Bijagòs Islands), where 289 and 288 specimens of stools, respectively, have been collected. The samples were taken from apparently healthy subjects, of both sexes and of different age groups. The tests were made according to the modified Ritchie technique. The following results were obtained: A) East Boè: 1) Protozoa: E. coli 68.9%, E. nana 24.6%, G. intestinalis 8.7%, I. buetschlii 5.9%, E. histolytica 1.7%, E. hartmanni 0.7%, T. intestinalis 0.7%. b) Helminths: Ancylostomatidae 69.2%, T. trichiura 38.4%, S. stercoralis 6.2%, Taenia sp. 1.7%, H. nana 0.7%, S. haematobium 0.7%, S. mansoni 0.7%, S. fuelleborni 0.7%. B) Canhabaque: a) Protozoa: E. coli 85.1%, I. buetschlii 14.9%, E. nana 12.5%, G. intestinalis 8.3%, C. mesnili 7.3%, E. hartmanni 1.4%, E. histolytica 1.0%, T. intestinalis 0.4%. b) Helminths: Ancylostomatidae 87.9%, T. trichiura 9.4%, S. stercoralis 7.9%, S. fuelleborni 2.8%, Trichostrongylus sp. 1.4%, A. lumbricoides 0.7%, H. nana 0.4%. Eggs of Capillaria sp. probably pseudoparasites, were found in 8.7% of samples. The high prevalence of Ancylostomatidae infections appears to be related to the heavy fecal pollution all over the examined territory. The utilization of antihelminthic drug of popular medicine, which has a specific action on A. lumbricoides, could explain the lack and the low prevalence, respectively, of A. lumbricoides infections in both examined areas. In the past, other authors emphasized the low prevalence of this parasite for other Guinea Bissau regions which have a different geomorfological constitution. The cases of S. fuelleborni and H. nana are the first reported for Guinea Bissau.     

Assignment of the prealbumin (PALB) gene (familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy) to human chromosome region 18q11.2–q12.1

Summary The assignment of the human prealbumin (PALB) gene to chromosome region 18q11–q12.1 has been achieved using a human genomic probe in the study of human-mouse somatic cell hybrids and by in situ hybridization. Because familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy was reported previously to be due to a mutation in prealbumin, it can be inferred that the gene for this disorder also maps to 18q11.2–q12.1.     

Inhibition of hepatic gluconeogenesis by the Rp-diastereomer of adenosine cyclic 3'',5''-phosphorothioate.

The specific intracellular cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase antagonist, the Rp-diastereomer of adenosine cyclic 3',5'-phosphorothioate (Rp-cAMPS), inhibited both basal and cyclic AMP-agonist-induced rates of gluconeogenesis in hepatocytes isolated from fasted rats. Incubation of the cells in the presence of pyruvate and lactate and either the Sp-diastereomer of adenosine cyclic 3',5'-phosphorothioate (Sp-cAMPS) or glucagon produced a concentration-dependent increase in the rate of gluconeogenic glucose production which was shifted to higher concentrations of Sp-cAMPS or glucagon in the presence of Rp-cAMPS. Incubation of the cells with Rp-cAMPS in the absence of agonist produced no increase in the rate of glucose production and, in most cases, 100 microM-Rp-cAMPS resulted in 14-20% decrease in the substrate-stimulated rate of glucose production. Sp-cAMPS-induced gluconeogenesis was inhibited half-maximally at 1 microM-Rp-cAMPS and glucagon-induced gluconeogenesis was inhibited half-maximally at 12 microM-Rp-cAMPS. Approx. 10-15% of the inhibition of gluconeogenesis observed in the presence of Rp-cAMPS was due to conversion of glucose 6-phosphate to liver glycogen, consistent with Rp-cAMPS-induced reactivation of glycogen synthase. The remaining 85-90% inhibition of gluconeogenic glucose production resulted from the action of Rp-cAMPS on the cyclic AMP-sensitive enzymes controlling the rate of gluconeogenesis.     

Time-Lapse Cinemicrographic Studies of X-Irradiated HeLa S3 Cells: II. Cell Fusion

Analysis of time-lapse cinemicrographs of X-irradiated HeLa S3 cells has shown that the incidence of cell fusion was increased from 0.9% (following 1267 divisions) in control cells to an average of 22% (following 655 divisions) in cells irradiated with 500 rad doses of 220 kv X-rays. The incidence depended on the stage of the generation cycle at which the parent cells were irradiated. It was nearly constant in the first three postirradiation generations. Fusion occurred at all stages of the generation cycle, but preferentially during the first 20%. Cells undergoing fusion progressed more slowly through the generation cycle and had a higher probability of disintegrating than did irradiated cells that did not fuse. The occurrence of fusion was clonally distributed in the population. It took place only between sister (or closely related) cells. Protoplasmic bridges were often visible between sister cells prior to fusion. Giant cells arose only as a result of fusion. The incidence of multipolar divisions, though higher than in unirradiated cells, was only 5.5% in cultures irradiated with 500 rads. Fusion occurred following 85% of the multipolar divisions and was often followed by a multipolar division.     

Efficiency of Chlorine Dioxide as a Bactericide

We found chlorine dioxide to be a more effective disinfectant than chlorine in sewage effluent at pH 8.5. Chlorine dioxide was also found to be a more stable bactericide in relation to pH in the range studied.