Epidemiological problems of ozena and the means for controlling this infection

Clinical, bacteriological, serological and epidemiological studies of ozena morbidity among the population of Minsk were carried out in 1970-1980. On January 1, 1981, the ozena morbidity rate among the inhabitants of Minsk was 26.72%. Ozena was found to affect mainly children and women. A wide spread of the family foci of this disease (31.68%) was revealed. The results of this study indicate that the source of K. ozaenae is a sick person who begins to excrete the bacteria in the prodromal period of the disease and may continue to excrete them for many years. The transfer of K. ozaenae occurs probably by droplet or contact infection. The droplet infection is less active in the absence of symptoms (coughing, sneezing) facilitating excretion of the infective agent into the air and in cases of the low susceptibility of persons to ozena. The main measures for controlling ozena are the timely detection and sanitation of the sources of ozena, as well as the current disinfection of the infection foci in apartments.     

Kinetics of adrenodoxin reductase oxidation by non-physiologic electron acceptors

The reactions of NADPH oxidation by quinones and inorganic complexes catalyzed by NADPH: adrenodoxin reductase were studied. The catalytic constant for the enzyme at pH 7.0 is 20-25 s-1; the oxidative constants for the quinones vary from 5 X 10(5) to 1.1 X 10(3) M-1 s-1 and show an increase with a rise in the one-electron acceptor reduction potential. The mode of adrenodoxin reductase interaction with oxyquinones differs from that of the enzyme interaction with alkyl-substituted quinones and inorganic complexes. NADPH competitively inhibits electron acceptors, whereas NADP+ is a competitive inhibitor of NADPH and a uncompetitive inhibitor of electron acceptors. (Ki = 25 microM). The depth of FAD incorporation into the enzyme molecule as calculated according to the outer sphere electron transfer theory is 6.1 A.     

Effect of adenine nucleotides on the activator function of streptokinase

The addition of ATP or 3,5-AMP (but not UTP, GTP, CTP, AMP, 2,3-AMP, ADP, inorganic pyrophosphate) at a final concentration of 10(-1) M into streptokinase solution, pH 7.0 or 9.5, causes a dramatic inhibition of streptokinase-induced fibrinolysis. The specificity of ATP effect is fully lost at pH 3.0, when all nucleotides completely inhibit the activating function of streptokinase. Ribose-5-phosphate causes a similar effect at pH 3.0. The character of nucleotide action on the activating function of streptokinase considerably differs from their influence on proteolytic reactions.     

Mitogenic action of bacterial T-independent antigens under various conditions of lymphocyte culture

The mitogenic response of lymphocytes in mouse spleen cell culture to the action of Salmonella typhi lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and Vi-antigen under different experimental conditions has been studied. The density of the culture has been shown to influence the activation of lymphocytes with Vi-antigen. Thus, macrophages stimulate mitogenesis at the concentration of lymphocytes equal to 1.0-1.2 X 10(6) cells/ml and suppress it when this concentration increases tenfold. The method used for the purification of cell suspension from adhering cells has been shown to influence the level of the mitogenic response of lymphocytes. The cultures, purified from macrophages by filtration through a column packed with cotton wool, have been found to respond to the mitogenic doses of LPS 7-8 times weaker than those purified by adhesion onto plastic. Background and mitogen-induced inclusion of 3H-thymidine into lymphocytic DNA varies in accordance with the presence of adhering cells. For this reason, in the evaluation of the influence of macrophages on mitogenesis it is expedient to consider not only the stimulation index, but also the absolute inclusion of thymidine into cells.     

Purification, quaternary structure and immunological properties of phosphorylase kinase from chicken skeletal muscle

Phosphorylase kinase was isolated from red and white chicken skeletal muscle in a nearly homogeneous state as judged by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulphate. The molecular weight of the native enzyme as determined by gel filtration on Sepharose 4B is close to that of rabbit skeletal muscle phosphorylase kinase (i. e., approximately 1300 000). The molecular weights of the subunits determined by SDS gel electrophoresis are: alpha', 140 000 beta, 129 000; gamma', 44 000; delta, 17 000 (cf. the Mr values of the alpha- and gamma-subunits of the rabbit muscle isoenzyme are 146 000 and 42 000). The four subunits, alpha', beta, gamma' and delta, were found to exist in equimolar amounts as shown by a densitometric analysis of acrylamide gels; hence, the subunit formula of the chicken skeletal muscle isoenzyme is (alpha' beta gamma' delta)4. Rabbit antisera against a mixture of alpha'- and beta-subunits of chicken phosphorylase kinase yield a single precipitin line with this enzyme, do not show cross reactions of identity with the rabbit muscle enzyme but strongly inhibit the activity of the chicken enzyme and partially inhibit the activity of the rabbit muscle isoenzyme.     

Cultured circular smooth muscle from the rabbit colon

Summary Although cultured vascular smooth muscle cells have been extensively characterized and investigated, there are very few studies of cultured intestinal smooth muscle cells. The aim of this study was to culture colonic smooth muscle (CSM) cells from the rabbit colon. Freshly isolated CSM cells from the circular muscle layer of the distal colon were prepared by collagenase digestion. In primary culture, CSM cells attached to the culture vessels by 48 to 72 h, proliferated by 3 to 7 d, and reached confluency by 14 to 17 d with a “hill-and-valley” pattern. Spontaneous contractions were not observed at any time at 21° or 37° C. Confluent primary cultures were greater than 95% CSM cells, as identified by intensely positive immunofluorescent staining to smooth muscle actin-specific CGA7 and muscle-specific HHF-35 monoclonal antibodies. Transmission electron microscopy of freshly isolated and proliferating CSM cells revealed ultrastructural features consistent with smooth muscle cells. We successfully cultured CSM cells of the rabbit from freshly isolated cells and validated these CSM cells by electron microscopy and immunocytochemical staining. These highly pure primary cultures may be used to investigate numerous aspects of CSM cell metabolism and physiology. These studies were supported by the National Institutes of Health grant to the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center (Bethesda, MD) P30-AM-32200 and R01-DK-31147. Dr. Kao is the recipient of a Research Career Development Award from the National Foundation for Ileitis and Colitis, Inc. A preliminary report of this work was presented at the American Motility Society Meeting, Houston, TX, in October 1986, and appeared in abstract form inGastroenterology 91: 1057; 1986.     

Alterations in the sialylation and sulfation of secreted mouse thyrotropin in primary hypothyroidism

We investigated the effect of in vivo hypothyroidism on the sialylation and sulfation of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) secreted by mouse pituitary explants. Oligosaccharides from secreted thyroid-stimulating hormone from hypothyroid animals contained greater sialic acid relative to sulfate in both alpha and beta subunits. Aging per se had little effect on thyroid-stimulating hormone sialylation or sulfation. Variable sialylation and sulfation demonstrates a mechanism for charge microheterogeneity of thyroid-stimulating hormone, and the increasing sialylation observed with hypothyroidism may functionally mediate the prolonged metabolic clearance that has been noted previously.