Experimental study of the immunotherapy of burns

Experiments were conducted on rats. The influence of the serum of a burn convalescent on the toxic properties, the level of proteolytic enzymes activity, and morphological changes following burn were studied. After the burn the blood serum and the extracts of the organs acquired toxic properties; there was an increase in the activity of proteolytic enzymes, and marked morphological changes developed Administration of the serum of aburn convalescent promoted detoxication, diminished the activity of proteolytic enzymes distinctly, and decreased the morphological disturbances.     

Hyperglycemia Exacerbates Burn-Induced Liver Inflammation via Noncanonical Nuclear Factor-κB Pathway Activation

Hyperglycemia and inflammation are hallmarks of burn injury. In this study, we used a rat model of hyperglycemia and burn injury to investigate the effects of hyperglycemia on inflammatory responses in the liver. Hyperglycemia was induced in male Sprague-Dawley rats with streptozotocin (STZ) (35-40 mg/kg), followed by a 60% third-degree scald burn injury. Cytokine levels (by multiplex, in cytosolic liver extracts), hormones (by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA], in serum), nuclear factor (NF)-κB protein deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) binding (by ELISA, in nuclear liver extracts) and liver functional panel (using VetScan, in serum) were measured at different time points up to 7 d after burn injury. Blood glucose significantly increased after burn injury in both groups with different temporal patterns. Hyperglycemic rats were capable of endogenous insulin secretion, which was enhanced significantly versus controls 12 h after burn injury. DNA binding data of liver nuclear extracts showed a robust and significant activation of the noncanonical NF-κB pathway in the hyperglycemic versus control burn animals, including increased NF-κB-inducing kinase expression (p < 0.05). Liver acute-phase proteins and cytokine expression were increased, whereas secretion of constitutive proteins was decreased after burn injury in hyperglycemic versus control animals (p < 0.05). These results indicate that burn injury to the skin rapidly activated canonical and noncanonical NF-κB pathways in the liver. Robust activation of the NF-κB noncanonical pathway was associated with increased expression of inflammatory markers and acute-phase proteins, and impaired glucose metabolism. Hyperglycemia is detrimental to burn outcome by augmenting inflammation mediated by hepatic noncanonical NF-κB pathway activation.     

Hyperglycemia Exacerbates Burn-Induced Liver Inflammation via Noncanonical Nuclear Factor-κB Pathway Activation

Hyperglycemia and inflammation are hallmarks of burn injury. In this study, we used a rat model of hyperglycemia and burn injury to investigate the effects of hyperglycemia on inflammatory responses in the liver. Hyperglycemia was induced in male Sprague-Dawley rats with streptozotocin (STZ) (35–40 mg/kg), followed by a 60% third-degree scald burn injury. Cytokine levels (by multiplex, in cytosolic liver extracts), hormones (by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay [ELISA], in serum), nuclear factor (NF)-κB protein deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) binding (by ELISA, in nuclear liver extracts) and liver functional panel (using VetScan, in serum) were measured at different time points up to 7 d after burn injury. Blood glucose significantly increased after burn injury in both groups with different temporal patterns. Hyperglycemic rats were capable of endogenous insulin secretion, which was enhanced significantly versus controls 12 h after burn injury. DNA binding data of liver nuclear extracts showed a robust and significant activation of the noncanonical NF-κB pathway in the hyperglycemic versus control burn animals, including increased NF-κB–inducing kinase expression (p < 0.05). Liver acute-phase proteins and cytokine expression were increased, whereas secretion of constitutive proteins was decreased after burn injury in hyperglycemic versus control animals (p < 0.05). These results indicate that burn injury to the skin rapidly activated canonical and noncanonical NF-κB pathways in the liver. Robust activation of the NF-κB noncanonical pathway was associated with increased expression of inflammatory markers and acute-phase proteins, and impaired glucose metabolism. Hyperglycemia is detrimental to burn outcome by augmenting inflammation mediated by hepatic noncanonical NF-κB pathway activation.     

清得佳凝胶治疗烧伤创面的生物学作用

目的探讨清得佳凝胶治疗烧伤创面的效果及其意义。方法采用家兔皮肤创伤模型,将每只家兔的背部烧伤区域用2种不同颜色的记号笔分成二组:A组(n=9):为实验组(6个部位):常规方法清洁、消毒创口,使用清得佳凝胶涂抹;B组(n=9):为对照组(6个部位):使用常规的无菌敷料覆盖包扎创口。实验于第3、5、7、9天分别取各组皮肤组织进行切片,作组织病理学及免疫组织化学观察。结果1.HE观察结果:烧伤后第3天,A组与B组皮肤烧伤创面结构变化不明显;烧伤后第5天,A组表皮细胞变性坏死程度减轻,成纤维细胞增生,水肿减轻,而B组表皮细胞变性坏死减轻程度不明显,结缔组织胶原纤维变性坏死程度没有得到明显的改善;烧伤后第7天,A组表皮细胞生长良好,真皮组织水肿基本消失;而B组表皮细胞变性坏死程度开始出现减轻,可见部分上皮增生;烧伤后第9天,A组上皮及结缔组织结构基本接近正常,创面愈合情况较好。而B组以上结构出现改变,但愈合状况不是很理想,真皮组织轻、中度水肿,有少量的炎性细胞浸润。2.转化生长因子β1(transforming growth factor β1,TGF-β1)的表达:烧伤后第3天和第5天,A组成纤维细胞胞浆中可见一些棕黄色颗粒,TGF-β1表达较强;B组成纤维细胞胞浆中未见或少见棕黄色颗粒,TGF-β1无表达或表达很弱。烧伤后第7天和第9天,A组成纤维细胞胞浆中可见密集分布的棕黄色颗粒,TGF-β1表达强;B组成纤维细胞胞浆中可见少量的棕黄色颗粒,TGF-β1表达弱。结论清得佳凝胶是一种烧伤创面良好的外用药,能清除创面坏死组织,有利于烧伤创面愈合。     

Indices of bacterial contamination and natural resistance in wistar line laboratory rats]

Conventional laboratory rats of Wistar line are contaminated with bacterial flora. The predominating bacteria in the intestine were the rod-like forms, while in the mouth cavity and vagina predominated the coccal forms. The contamination level of the cavities and penetration of the contaminants into the internal organs depended on the state of the host natural resistance.     

Proteolytic activity in anther extracts of fertile and cytoplasmic male sterile petunia

Proteolytic activity is compared in anther extracts from Petunia parodii fertile and cytoplasmic male sterile lines. It is characterized relative to developmental stage of the anthers, effect of variable incubation times, pH of isolation buffers, and degradation of marker proteins. In fertile anthers, proteolytic activity increases at the end of microsporogenesis and peaks early in microgametogenesis. Degradation is most severe in extracts of fertile anthers and in high molecular weight proteins and reaches its maximum within 20 minutes. Degradation of marker proteins is greatest at pH 5.6 to 8.0 in fertile anther extracts and is eliminated under strong acid conditions (pH 2.8 to 4.0) in both fertile and cytoplasmic male sterile anther extracts. Marker proteins degrade more severely in extracts of fertile anthers; however, the order of substrate sensitivity—myosin > phosphorylase b > bovine serum albumin and ovalbumin > β-galactosidase—is the same in extracts from fertile and cytoplasmic male sterile anthers.     

The separation of intracellular serum albumin from rat liver

1. Antibody precipitation of serum albumin from rat liver extracts yields impure preparations of the protein. 2. When rat liver is labelled with l-[1-(14)C]leucine, antibody precipitation of albumin leads to material that is contaminated with a protein or proteins of very high specific radioactivity. Only 10-25% of the radioactivity of the antibody precipitate is associated with serum albumin. 3. A chromatographic procedure is described that can be used to separate radiochemically pure serum albumin from antibody precipitates obtained from extracts of rat liver. 4. Extracellular albumin secreted by liver slices yields a precipitate with antibody which contains much less radioactive impurity. About 70-90% of the radioactivity is associated with serum albumin. Serum albumin separated by antibody precipitation from rat serum labelled in vivo was not contaminated with the radiochemical impurities associated with intracellular albumin. 5. A simple method is described of obtaining the content of serum albumin in rat liver extracts by the technique of isotope dilution and ion-exchange chromatography.     

Developmental and morphological analyses of homeotic cytoplasmic male sterile and fertile carrot flowers

Floral development and morphology were observed for two homeotic cytoplasmic male sterile carrot lines and their isonuclear fertile maintainers. For one sterile line, W33A stamens are replaced by petal-like organs; for the other, W259A, both stamens and petals are replaced by green bract-like structures. Both isonuclear maintainers, W33B and W259B respectively, have stamens and white petals. The different sterile phenotypes result from the interactions of distinct nuclear genotypes with one sterility-inducing cytoplasm. Early stages of floral development were similar among all four lines; the third whorl primordia were radial while those in the second whorl were dorsiventral. However, the third whorl primordia were splayed outward in the sterile lines and inward in the fertile lines. Subsequently, radial anthers on filaments differentiated in fertile lines and dorsiventral hastate and cordate shaped structures appeared in W33A and W259A, respectively. In the mature flower, the third whorl organs were cordate in W33A and ovate in W259A. Based on epidermal cell morphology, the second whorl organs of the two sterile lines had characteristics of both petals and bracts, but of opposite degrees; cells of W33A and W259A were most similar to those of petals and bracts, respectively. The third whorl organs of the sterile lines had characteristics of their respective second whorl organs; however, structures of W33A also had filament-like cells and those of W259A were more bract-like than their respective second whorl organs. The cytoplasm affected when homeosis was manifested during development. Nuclear factors interacting with cytoplasm were most important for determining differentiation. The significance of cytoplasm to current models of nuclear-gene-controlled homeosis is discussed.     

Radiation Processed Amniotic Membranes in the Treatment of Non-Healing Ulcers of Different Etiologies

The amniotic membranes were collected from the placentae of selected and screened donors. Processing was done by washing the fresh amniotic membrane successively in sterile saline, 0.05% sodium hypochlorite solution and sterile distilled water until it was completely cleared of blood particles. The membranes were sterilized by gamma irradiation at 25 kGy. The processed amniotic membranes were applied to 50 open wounds comprising of 42 full thickness defects and eight partial thickness defects. These included leprotic, diabetic, traumatic, gravitational ulcers and superficial burn in the form of scald and corrosive burn. The radiation processed amniotic membranes favoured healing of unresponsive and non-healing ulcers of different etiologies. Ulcers with duration of minimum 3 weeks to maximum 12 months were found to heal in 2-6 weeks by the application of amniotic membranes.     

Dynamic study of the development of edema in the organs in experimental burn trauma

Proton magnetic relaxation with measuring the time of spin-screen relaxation (T1) was used to study the time course of derangement of organ and tissue flooding after stage IIIB experimental burn of 15% body area. To examine the structures of the microcirculatory vessels, use was made of electron microscopy of the organs. The internal organs under study demonstrated a significant long-term (up to 49 days) increase in flooding: in the liver and kidneys, it occurred since the first day after burn, while in the lungs, myocardium and brain, since the 7th day. The results indicate the parallelism of the changes in the T1 and electron microscopic alterations in the histohematic barriers. Proton magnetic relaxation enables a more rapid and more convenient assay of the changes in tissue flooding as compared to the method of drying at high temperature. Therefore, it may be applied to the assessment of the efficacy of different therapeutic means.     

雌激素诱导SD大鼠前列腺炎与内环境改变的关系

目的 通过雌二醇诱导SD雄鼠慢性前列腺炎,探讨SD雄鼠的内环境改变的关联性作用,为前列腺炎发生机制和治疗提供一条实验性途径.方法 3%戊巴比妥麻醉,无菌条件下去势手术;术后动物恢复5 d,30只雄鼠按照体重随机分组,每组10只.第6天低剂量组皮下注射0.25 mg/kg的雌二醇,高剂量组皮下注射1.25 mg/kg的雌二醇,溶媒对照组注射橄榄油,每天1次,连续30 d.结果 与溶媒对照组比较,低、高剂量组白细胞（WBC）、红细胞（RBC）、血红蛋白（HGB）和红细胞压积（HCT）均降低（P〈0.01）;前列腺酸性磷酸酶（PAP）明显降低（P〈0.01）;高剂量组睾酮含量明显增加（P〈0.01）,C-反应蛋白（CRP）在低、高剂量组也呈现增加的趋势,但差异没有统计学意义;溶媒对照组和给药组前列腺组织大体解剖表面未见明显差异,光学显微镜下,溶媒对照组前列腺组织结构完整、腺腔和间质无炎性细胞浸润,高剂量组和低剂量组的前列腺间质均可见炎细胞浸润;低、高剂量组大鼠脾脏均可见棕黄色颗粒沉淀,其余脏器无明显改变,胸腺、脾脏及其脏器系数均明显降低.结论 根据本实验结果,雌激素引起的慢性非细菌性前列腺炎可导致内环境血液学、血清生化,激素水平、脏器和脏器系数的一系列改变.     

筋骨草提取物抗运动疲劳的作用

目的：探讨筋骨草的抗运动性疲劳作用。方法：将120只雄性昆明种小鼠随机平均分成安静组、运动组、阳性对照组和筋骨草低、中、高剂量组（n=10）。其中低、中、高剂量组小鼠分别按100 mg/kg、200 mg/kg、400 mg/kg体重连续灌胃筋骨草提取物30 d,阳性对照组小鼠按200 mg/kg体重灌胃西洋参胶囊颗粒,安静组和运动组小鼠以等体积生理盐水灌胃。动物试验结束后,分析各组小鼠运动力竭时间、血清生理生化指标（包括血乳酸、血尿素氮、血糖、总胆固醇、甘油三酯含量）、肝糖原与肌糖原含量,以及股四头肌、肝脏和心脏组织的抗氧化指标（包括谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶、超氧化物歧化酶、过氧化氢酶和丙二醛）。结果：中、高剂量组小鼠的运动力竭时间、红细胞数量、血红蛋白含量、血糖浓度、肝糖原与肌糖原含量,以及器官组织中谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶、超氧化物歧化酶和过氧化氢酶活力均明显高于运动对照组,而血清乳酸含量、血清尿素氮、血清甘油三酯与总胆固醇含量,以及器官组织中丙二醛含量明显低于运动对照组,中剂量的筋骨草提取物的作用效果优于同剂量的西洋参胶囊颗粒。结论：筋骨草通过提高机体的抗氧化功能而达到抗运动性疲劳作用。     

CNTF对烧伤大鼠血清引起大鼠海马神经元细胞毒性的影响

应用整体和离体神经元培养,观察CNTF对烧伤大鼠海马神经元及烧伤血清引起海马神经元损伤的影响,结果表明,大鼠烧伤后海马组织神经元数目减少,NO含量升高;烧伤大鼠血清可引起培养的海马神经元细胞存活率下降,培养液中NO含量升高;CNTF能降低烧伤大鼠海马组织中NO的含量,保护海马神经元,并能提高培养的海马神经元的存活率,减少培养液中NO含量,其作用呈剂量依赖性;CNTF对神经元存活率的影响与NO含量呈显著负相关,提示CNTF对烧伤大鼠血清引起的海马神经元损伤有保护作用,其作用机制可能是通过抑制NO的神经毒性。     

Microbiological influences in 'blue water' copper corrosion

AIMS: To investigate the influence of micro-organisms associated with copper corrosion on 'blue water' corrosion in drinking water. METHODS AND RESULTS: Laboratory rigs comprising of polycarbonate containers attached to annealed copper plumbing tubes were filled with Melbourne drinking water and sterilized by autoclaving. The copper tubes were inoculated with sterile or nonsterile extracts obtained from corroding copper and allowed to stand for 7 days. The extracts were drained and the tubes flushed and filled with sterile water from the rig. The water within the tubes was removed weekly for analysis and the tubes were refilled with freshly aerated water. The tube water sampled was analysed for pH, total copper and the presence of micro-organisms. Sterile rigs and rigs containing nonsterile water, both without tube inoculums, were used as controls. The results demonstrated that tubes inoculated with nonsterile corrosion extracts showed statistically higher copper release compared with the other rigs. Copper release as blue water was only observed after a lag period of 9 weeks. The internal surfaces of tubes releasing copper showed significant amounts of corrosion products and the presence of biofilm. Bacteria isolated from the corroding tubes included Acidovorax spp. and Sphingomonas sp. CONCLUSIONS: The results demonstrate a microbial role in blue water, as corrosion was induced in new copper tubes by exposure to nonsterile copper corrosion products. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The potential for micro-organisms present in corrosion products to initiate blue water corrosion presents significant implications for the management of corrosion in distribution systems.     

Gonadotropic activity of the immunoglobulins from placental, abortion and donor blood

Gonadotropic activity of 106 series of immunoglobulin preparations obtained in the USSR and-the People's Republic of Bulgaria was studied. In difference from donor immunoglobulins, all the preparations of placental materials were contaminated with chorionic gonadotropin. Gonadotropin content in the immunoglobulins made of abortion serum was 2--7 times greater than in the preparations from the retoplacental serum and the placental extracts. The mean results of gonadotropin content in the immunoglobulins obtained by biological studies differed from those obtained from the investigations by immunological methods since the mentioned methods apparently characterized different properties of the hormonal molecule.     

The Ogura sterility-inducing protein forms a large complex without interfering with the oxidative phosphorylation components in rapeseed mitochondria

The Ogura cytoplasmic male sterility causing protein, ORF138, was found to be part of a complex with an apparent size of over 750 kDa in the inner membrane of mitochondria of sterile plants. ORF138 did not colocalize with any of the oxidative phosphorylation complexes, nor did its presence modify their apparent size or amount, compared to samples from fertile isogenic plants. We attempted to detect potential proteins or nucleic acids that could be involved in the large ORF138 complex by 2D PAGE, immunoprecipitation and nuclease treatments of native extracts. All our results suggest that the ORF138 protein is the main, if not only, component of this large complex. The capacities of complexes I, II, IV, and ATP synthase were identical in samples from sterile and fertile plants. Isolated mitochondria from sterile plants showed a higher oxygen consumption than those from fertile plants. In vivo respiration measurements suggest that the difference in O₂ consumption measured at the organelle level is compensated at the cell/tissue level, completely in leaves, but only partially in male reproductive organs.     

IFN-gamma production from liver mononuclear cells of mice in burn injury as well as in postburn bacterial infection models and the therapeutic effect of IL-18

Hosts after severe burn injury are known to have a defect in the Th1 immune response and are susceptible to bacterial infections. We herein show that liver NK cells are potent IFN-gamma producers early after burn injury. However, when mice were injected with LPS 24 h after burn injury, IFN-gamma production from liver mononuclear cells (MNC; which we previously showed to be NK cells) was suppressed, and the serum IFN-gamma concentration did not increase, while serum IL-10 conversely increased compared with control mice. Interestingly, a single injection of IL-18 simultaneously with LPS greatly restored the serum IFN-gamma concentration in mice with burn injury and also increased IFN-gamma production from liver MNC. Nevertheless, a single IL-18 injection into mice simultaneously with LPS was no longer effective in the restoration of serum IFN-gamma and IFN-gamma production from the liver MNC at 7 days after burn injury, when mice were considered to be the most immunocompromised. However, IL-18 injections into mice on alternate days beginning 1 day after burn injury strongly up-regulated LPS-induced serum IFN-gamma levels and IFN-gamma production from liver and spleen MNC of mice 7 days after burn injury and down-regulated serum IL-10. Furthermore, similar IL-18 therapy up-regulated serum IFN-gamma levels in mice with experimental bacterial peritonitis 7 days after burn injury and greatly decreased mouse mortality. Thus, IL-18 therapy restores the Th1 response and may decrease the susceptibility to bacterial infection in mice with burn injury.     

Production of a cell wall-specific monoclonal antibody to Fibrobacter succinogenes

The ability of two strains of Salmonella enteritidis PT4 to cross-contaminate from inoculated egg droplets on surfaces onto melon or beef (sterile or non-sterile) was investigated. When the foods were placed on these surfaces where egg droplets were still wet, cross-contamination occurred within 1 s onto every piece of food. It took at least 1 min for all the food pieces to be contaminated when egg droplets had been allowed to dry. Both strains were capable of rapid growth on melon and beef (sterile or non-sterile) at 20°C, but growth rates on beef appeared to be slowed by pre-exposure to either 4 or −18°C.     

Effects of slightly acidic electrolysed drinking water on mice

Slightly acidic electrolysed (SAE) water is a sanitizer with strong bactericidal activity due to hypochlorous acid. We assessed the safety of SAE water as drinking water for mice at a 5 ppm total residual chlorine (TRC) concentration to examine the possibility of SAE water as a labour- and energy-saving alternative to sterile water. We provided SAE water or sterile water to mice for 12 weeks, during which time we recorded changes in body weight and weekly water and food intakes. At the end of the experiment, all of the subject animals were sacrificed to assess serum aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase and creatinine levels and to examine the main organs histopathologically under a light microscope. In addition, we investigated the bacteria levels of both types of water. We found no difference in functional and morphological health condition indices between the groups. Compared with sterile water, SAE water had a relatively higher ability to suppress bacterial growth. We suggest that SAE water at 5 ppm TRC is a safe and useful alternative to sterile water for use as drinking water in laboratory animal facilities.     

棉花ms5ms6雄性不育两用系发育过程中POD同工酶分析

为了在生长发育前期简便快速地区分棉花雄性不育A、B两用系的不育株和可育株,采用同工酶分析方法,对POD同工酶进行研究。结果表明,不同器官之间POD同工酶带数及其带的强度存在差异,其中花药的酶带最多、带的强度最高;子房的酶带最少,带的强度最低。同一器官不同发育时期POD同工酶也存在差异,其中在花药发育时期POD同工酶带数及其带的强度差异明显,尤其在单核期和二核期两种不同叶型的两用系A比B分别减少1或2条带。因此,在开花之前根据花药POD同工酶的差异,易于区分A、B两用系中的不育株和可育株。