A histochemical study of adenosine triphosphatase and other nucleotide phosphatases in young root tips

Summary The distribution of ATP-ase and other nucleotide phosphatases has been studied in young root tips of maize, barley and broad bean using frozen and paraffin sections stained by standard lead sulphide precipitation procedures. High ATP-ase activity was found at the root and cell surface which is in agreement with previous biochemical studies using excised roots and cell wall preparations. Staining was also found in the nuclei and at particulate sites in the cytoplasm. Differences were observed between the present work and the staining pattern obtained for -glycerophosphatase, and between ATP-ase staining in the three roots studied. These results are discussed in relation to the possible physiological activity of the enzymes and to the differences found between earlier histochemical studies of ATP-ase activity.Abbreviations F.L. frozen longitudinal - F.T. frozen transverse     

Critical study of 5% guanethidine in ocular manifestations of Graves's disease

Assessment was made of 5% local guanethidine in treating eye manifestations in euthyroid patients with either treated thyrotoxicosis or ophthalmic Graves''s disease. In a double-blind crossover study guanethidine caused greater improvement in lid retraction than a control solution. A long-term study showed that this improvement was maintained. A much lower incidence of side-effects was noted with 5% guanethidine than with 10% solution.     

Morphological, Cultural, Biochemical, and Serological Comparison of Japanese Strains of Vibrio parahemolyticus with Related Cultures Isolated in the United States

Morphological, cultural, biochemical, and serological characteristics of 79 strains of Vibrio parahemolyticus isolated from patients suffering from gastroenteric disease in Japan were compared with 17 suspected V. parahemolyticus cultures isolated from wound infections and 14 nonpathogenic vibrios isolated from an estuarine environment in the United States. These groups were differentiated on the basis of several key reactions which included: the range of growth temperature and salt tolerance; the production of catalase and acetoin; the hydrolysis of starch; the fermentation and utilization as single carbon source of sucrose, cellobiose, and arabinose; and the ability to swarm on 1% agar. The separation of the groups on the basis of cultural and biochemical analyses was confirmed by means of slide agglutinations with specific anti-K antisera. The results of this study strongly suggest that the wound infection isolates are V. parahemolyticus species which are easily distinguished from the nonpathogenic estuarine vibrios.     

Mechanism of Prophylaxis by Silver Compounds against Infection of Burns

To clarify tthe mechanism by which local application of silver compounds protects burns against infection, an ion-specific electrode was used to measùre the concentration of silver ions in solutions. By this method it was shown that in burn dressings silver ions were reduced to a very low level by precipitation as silver chloride. The antibacterial effect was found to depend on the availability of silver ions from solution in contact with precipitate. Between 10^-5 and 10^-6 molar silver nitrate solution in water was rapidly bactericidal. The minimal amount of silver nitrate causing inhibition of respiration of skin in tissue culture was about 25 times the minimal concentration of silver nitrate that inhibited growth of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.     

Examination of Market Foods for Coliform Organisms

Food specimens (490) in nine categories were examined for total aerobic plate count and numbers and types of coliform organisms, including the enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EEC). The total counts were compared with various suggested standards, and a limit of 100,000/g appeared to be a realistic goal, except for certain food types with a high level of natural flora. Plate counts in VRB were compared to counts obtained by isolation by enrichment in LST Broth, and the latter method produced a higher percentage of isolations. The presence of E. coli was determined by use of EC Medium incubated at 44.5 +/- 0.1 C. Only 40.4% of the positive EC tubes, however, contained E. coli. It appeared that a limit of 10 coliform organisms per g as a suggested standard could be met with several types of foods. Isolation of EEC was obtained only three times, or in 0.6% of the specimens.     

Aflatoxin B1 Uptake by Flavobacterium aurantiacum and Resulting Toxic Effects

Removal of aflatoxin B(1) from liquid cultures by resting and growing cells of Flavobacterium aurantiacum NRRL B-184 was studied. Spectrophotometic and thin-layer techniques served as aflatoxin assays. Cells grown in the presence of 5 ppm or higher levels of aflatoxin developed aberrant morphological forms. These toxin concentrations partially inhibited growth, and the nature of the inhibition suggested that aflatoxin interfered with cell wall synthesis. Incubation of 1.0 x 10(11) resting cells per milliliter with 7.0 mug/ml of aflatoxin B(1) during a 4-hr period facilitated complete toxin removal from a buffered aqueous medium. Autoclaved cells and cell wall preparations could remove a fraction of the aflatoxin of a test system. However, the toxin removed by autoclaved cells and cell walls could be extracted by washing with water but the aflatoxin B(1) removed by intact cells could not be extracted into the liquid phase. The uptake of aflatoxin B(1) by resting cells was sensitive to temperature and pH. Ruptured preparations of F. aurantiacum were not able to remove or modify the aflatoxin in an aqueous solution.     

POLYCYTHEMIA VERA—Peripheral Vascular Manifestations

The presenting manifestations of polycythemia vera are often complications involving the vascular system. These include myocardial infarction, cerebro-vascular accidents and ischemic changes in the extremities.The concept of increased atherogenesis in cases of polycythemia vera has been questioned. A possible mechanism by which small, otherwise subclinical atheromatous plaques produce ischemic symptoms in patients with polycythemia vera is discussed. The blood in polycythemic patients has been shown to have an increased viscosity resulting in a prolonged circulation time. If a small atheromatous plaque is present in association with increased blood viscosity, this combination may well produce ischemic symptoms. This explains why treatment of polycythemia vera, with restoration of blood to normal viscosity, often reverses the patient''s ischemic symptoms.Two cases of polycythemia vera here reported, in which the presenting manifestations were gangrenous extremities, emphasize the need for prompt diagnosis and treatment of polycythemia vera. In the first case, early recognition and treatment of polycythemia vera successfully reversed the ischemic changes in the extremities, while failure of early recognition and treatment in the second case resulted in two major amputations.