Fermentation of wort containing deoxynivalenol and zearalenone

Wort containing deoxynivalenol and zearalenone, each added at a level of 1.9 μg/mL, was fermented by 3 strains ofSaccharomyces cerevisiae for 7 or 9 days to make beer. Analysis showed that deoxynivalenol was stable during this process. The major metabolite of zearalenone was β - zearalenol, which formed in up to 69% of the initial zearalenone concentration, while up to 8.1% of the initial zearalenone was converted to α - zearalenol. The major part of the metabolism of zearalenone occurred by 1 – 2 days. Control experiments, where the yeasts were omitted and deoxynivalenol, zearalenone and α - and β - zearalenol were added, showed good recovery and stability of the mycotoxins over the 7–9 day time period. No deoxynivalenol, zearalenone, α-zearalenol or β-zearalenol was detected in control yeast fermentations where they were not added to the wort.     

VARIATIONS IN THE NATURAL HISTORY OF PSORIASIS

Latent psoriasis is a state which exists before the development of clinical psoriasis and wherein probably some as yet undiscovered defect exists. Investigation concerning a group of persons with latent psoriasis might disclose basic aberrations.The natural course of psoriasis may be altered by therapy. Folic acid antagonists and intradermal corticosteroids may at times eclipse psoriatic lesions. Oral adrenal corticosteroids may prove morbidistatic but on discontinuance a rebound flare may occur which is both protracted and recalcitrant. Antimalarial agents when employed as therapy for coexistent arthridites may cause psoriasis to become more severe.The Goeckerman regimen which employs topical tar and ultraviolet light therapy produces in some 75 per cent of patients a prolonged remission. As it is safe and repeatable it is favored for the usual severe case of psoriasis.Psoriasis therapy is better assessed by considering its effect on the natural evolution of the disease.     

Effect of MNU on the methylation pattern of hepatic DNA during compensatory cell proliferation.

We have used the initiation-promotion model of MNU-induced hepatocarcinogenesis to test the hypothesis that alteration of the methylation status of DNA cytosines could be involved in the initiation of carcinogenesis. In fact cell proliferation plays a fundamental role in the initiation of liver carcinogenesis and hepatocytes in the S phase are more sensitive towards MNU initiation than at other times in the cycle. The molecular mechanisms involved in these processes, however, are still poorly understood and it seemed of value to monitor the DNA methylation status in this system. The results obtained indicate that MNU hepatocarcinogenic action might consist also of the inhibition of DNA hypomethylation biologically associated with cell proliferation.     

Differential effects of physiologically relevant hypoxic conditions on T lymphocyte development and effector functions.

Direct measurements revealed low oxygen tensions (0.5-4.5% oxygen) in murine lymphoid organs in vivo. To test whether adaptation to changes in oxygen tension may have an effect on lymphocyte functions, T cell differentiation and functions at varying oxygen tensions were studied. These studies show: 1) differentiated CTL deliver Fas ligand- and perforin-dependent lethal hit equally well at all redox conditions; 2) CTL development is delayed at 2.5% oxygen as compared with 20% oxygen. Remarkably, development of CTL at 2.5% oxygen is more sustained and the CTL much more lytic; and 3) hypoxic exposure and TCR-mediated activation are additive in enhancing levels of hypoxia response element-containing gene products in lymphocyte supernatants. In contrast, hypoxia inhibited the accumulation of nonhypoxia response element-containing gene products (e.g., IL-2 and IFN-gamma) in the same cultures. This suggests that T cell activation in hypoxic conditions in vivo may lead to different patterns of lymphokine secretion and accumulation of cytokines (e.g., vascular endothelial growth factor) affecting endothelial cells and vascular permeabilization. Thus, although higher numbers of cells survive and are activated during 20% oxygen incubation in vitro, the CTL which develop at 2.5% oxygen are more lytic with higher levels of activation markers. It is concluded that the ambient 20% oxygen tension (plus 2-ME) is remarkably well suited for immunologic specificity and cytotoxicity studies, but oxygen dependence should be taken into account during the design and interpretation of results of in vitro T cell development assays and gene expression studies in vivo.     

Exploring a possibility of using Raman spectroscopy for detection of Lyme disease

Lyme disease (LD), one of the most prevalent tick-borne diseases in the United States (US), is caused by Borreliella burgdorferi sensu stricto (Bb). To date, in the US, LD diagnostics is primarily based on validated two-tiered serological testing, which overall exhibits low sensitivity among other drawbacks. In the present study, a potential of Raman spectroscopy (RS) to detect Bb infection in mice has been explored. For that, C3H mice were infected with wild-type Bb strains, 297, B31, or B31-derived mutant, ∆vlsE. Blood samples taken prior to and post Bb infection were subjected to RS. The data demonstrated that RS did not directly detect Bb spirochetes in blood, but rather sensed biochemical changes associated with Bb infection. Despite Bb infection-associated blood changes detectable by RS were very limited, the partial least square discriminant analysis showed that the average true positive rates were 86% for 297 and 89% for B31 and ∆vlsE.