Prophylactic immunization against experimental leishmaniasis. IV. Subcutaneous immunization prevents the induction of protective immunity against fatal Leishmania major infection

Durable immunity against fatal L. major infection in genetically susceptible mice can be induced by immunization with 150,000-rad irradiated or heat-killed promastigotes administered i.v. or to a lesser extent i.p. Conversely, subcutaneous (s.c.) and intramuscular (i.m.) injections are not only totally ineffective but generally increase susceptibility to and enhance the progression of the disease, leading to earlier mortality. This detrimental effect is particularly evident with lower infecting challenge doses. Disease exacerbation is apparent in mice given 4 X s.c. injections of as few as 2 X 10(4) irradiated promastigotes, but it appears most potent after doses of 2 X 10(7). When mice given 4 X s.c. injections were subsequently immunized i.v. with 2 X 10(7) irradiated promastigotes, they failed to develop any evidence of protection against infection with 2 X 10(5) promastigotes, whereas mice given i.v. immunization alone were strongly protected. Thus, s.c. injections are capable of blocking the prophylactic effect of i.v. immunization with irradiated parasites. This inhibitory effect can be achieved with a single s.c. injection, although rather less potently than with four, and is even effective against four repeated weekly i.v. immunizations. Once induced, the effect persists undiminished after 100 days. A weaker effect is also inducible by s.c. injection given after i.v. immunization. The blocking effect of s.c. injection is not dependent on continuing viability of the promastigotes, as it can be induced equally readily with heat-killed, formalin-fixed, or sonicated parasites. The phenomenon extends to mouse strains genetically resistant as well as susceptible to L. major infection and, in congenic mice of BALB background, is independent of the major histocompatibility (H-2) gene complex.     

Effects of intravenous epinephrine on macaque platelets

Blood was obtained from three species of macaques for a study of platelets. A rapidly mobilizable platelet pool was demonstrated in rhesus macaques given intravenous epinephrine. The number of platelets/ml of blood increased about 30% 3 to 5 min after epinephrine was given. The size distributions of the platelets were similar before and after injection. Platelet aggregability was increased after injection. Basal platelet aggregabilities, as measured by platelet aggregate ratios, were similar in rhesus macaques. Celebes black macaques, and human subjects, but were significantly greater in cynomolgus macaques than in the other three species.     

Carbon dioxide exchange of C3 and C4 tree species in the understory of a Hawaiian forest

Summary Field measurements of photosynthetic CO₂ exchange were made on saplings of a C₄ tree species, Euphorbia forbesii, and a C₃ tree species, Claoxylon sandwicense, in a shaded mesic forest on Oahu, Hawaii. Both species had light responses typical of those generally found in shade plants. Light saturated photosynthetic rates were 7.15 and 4.09 mol m² s¹ and light compensation points were 6.3 and 1.7 mol m² s¹ in E. forbesii and C. sandwicense, respectively. E. forbesii maintained a higher mesophyll conductance and a higher water use efficiency than C. sandwicense as is typically found in comparisons of C₄ and C₃ plants. Under natural light regimes, both species maintained positive CO₂ uptake rates over essentially the entire day because of low respiration rates and light compensation points. However, photosynthesis during sunflecks accounted for a large fraction of the daily carbon gain. The results show that the carbon-gaining capacity of E. forbesii is comparable to that of a C₃ species in a moderately cool, shaded forest environment. There appears to be no particular advantage or disadvantage associated with the C₄ photosynthetic pathway of E. forbesii in this environment.     

Interaction of mycoplasmas and phagocytes

Aspects of the interaction of certain mycoplasmas with macrophages and neutrophils in vivo and in vitro have been studied using two systems, one involving M. pulmonis in mice and the other involving M. bovis with bovine leucocytes. Studies with M. pulmonis indicated that the disappearance of viable organisms from the peritoneal cavity was not enhanced in SPF mice in which a peritoneal exudate rich in neutrophils had been induced. However, viable M. pulmonis organisms disappeared more rapidly from the peritoneal cavities with exudates containing increased numbers of macrophages. Experiments in vitro studied the opsonic effect of bovine IgG isotypes for bovine neutrophils and alveolar macrophages. Both IgG1 and IgG2 promoted killing of M. bovis by alveolar macrophages but IgG2 was more effective than IgG1 at promoting mycoplasma killing by neutrophils. Further studies in vitro indicated that certain bovine mycoplasma could inhibit killing of Escherichia coli by bovine neutrophils.     

Effects of Legal Abortion on Gynaecology

The effect of the Abortion Act on gynaecological work in one provincial teaching hospital is that despite an increase in patient turnover of 45% the waiting list has increased by 200%. It is suggested that the Act has had little effect on the birth rate or illegitimacy and that there may have been an increase in criminal abortion.