Protection against Candida albicans gastrointestinal colonization and dissemination by saccharides in experimental animals

Pre- or post-treatment of duodenal discs with mannose, N-acetylglucosamine or chitin soluble extracts (CSE) prevented the adherence of Candida albicans to gastrointestinal tract. CSE was the most effective in blocking the adherence of C. albicans. Treatment of infant mice with saccharides significantly reduced the systemic spread of C. albicans inoculated into the gut. The best protection was obtained when the saccharides were given 2 days prior to the infection and continued over the course of the infection. However, systemic spread was reduced with a single dose of saccharide 30 min before infection. The saccharides may bind to the gastrointestinal mucosa and block the attachment of C. albicans.     

Experimental studies on the afferent innervation of the cricothyroid muscle in dogs

The cricothyroid muscle in dogs received branches from two independent nerves, namely the external ramus of the cranial laryngeal nerve and the pharyngeal branch of the vagus. Classical spindles are infrequent in the muscle. Atypical forms of sensory endings were identified. Two end-plates were frequently met with on a single extrafusal fibre. Sectioning of the external ramus of the cranial laryngeal nerve was followed by degeneration of spindles. Intact axons detected up to 6 months after operation are probably derived from the pharyngeal branch of the vagus. Chromatolytic changes occurred in the ipsilateral dorsal vagal nucleus and the capsulated ganglion at the entry of the nerve into the muscle. Chromatolysis occurred in the intramuscular ganglion cell rows and in neurons of the ipsilateral nodose ganglion. Morphological alterations were more pronounced in the ipsilateral medial column of the nucleus ambiguus. No changes were observed in the somata of the mesencephalic nucleus.     

Determination of staphylococcal enterotoxin A in cheddar cheese produced without starter activity.

Three variants of the chloramine-T radioiodination method were used to iodinate staphylococcal enterotoxin A with 125I. Only one method consistently produced usable labels for radioimmunoassay. The iodine incorporation was 55 to 76%; the specific activity was 3.5 to 5.5 muCi/microgram of enterotoxin, and the label was extremely stable on storage at -20 degrees C. Determinations of the enterotoxin in extracts of cheddar cheese produced without starter activity were carried out with the radioimmunoassay system and protein A as antibody immunoadsorbent. The assay buffer used in this system significantly influenced the detected levels of enterotoxin in the cheese extracts. Phosphate buffer, but not tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (Tris) buffer, caused gelling of cheese extract proteins, thus resulting in an incomplete separation of free from antibody-bound 125I enterotoxin. When Tris buffer was used, the results indicated a high degree of accuracy and precision for this radioimmunoassay. The lowest detectable enterotoxin concentration in cheese extract was 0.5 ng/ml.     

Position specificity of an o-dihydroxycoumarin glucosyltransferase from tobacco cell suspension culture

A partially purified UDP-glucose: o-dihydroxycoumarin glucosyltransferase from tobacco cell culture required an intact coumarin ring system with o-dihydroxy groups for highest activity. The enzyme exhibited strict position specificity towards the 7-OH group of both esculetin and daphnetin with the formation of cichoriin and daphnin, respectively. The apparent K_m values were 111 and 95 μM, while the V_max for esculetin was 26.4 pkat/mg protein.     

Natural history of 11 cases of twin-twin transfusion syndrome without intervention.

The natural history of 11 cases of twin-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) in monochorionic diamniotic (MCDA) twin pregnancies has been reviewed. Seven cases before 28 weeks and four pregnancies after 28 weeks had been followed up without intervention. Eight cases had premature uterine contractions. All seven pregnancies before 28 weeks aborted, leading to a 100% mortality rate. After 28 weeks all mothers delivered live births. The diagnosis of TTTS before 28 weeks, and with premature uterine contraction, seems to be a poor prognostic sign.     

Biosynthesis of White Lupin Isoflavonoids from [U-C]l-Phenylalanine and Their Release into the Culture Medium

Pulse-labeling experiments of white lupin (Lupinus albus L.) cell cultures with [U-¹⁴C]l-phenylalanine for 72 h resulted in the incorporation of the radioactivity into the isoflavone aglucones, glucosides, and prenylated derivatives. Both the aglucones genistein and 2′-hydroxygenistein and their 7-O-glucosides accounted for 85% of the total isoflavonoids identified in the cultured cells and contained 35% of the radioactivity, whereas the prenylated derivatives comprised 15 and 65%, respectively. Almost 20% of the labeled isoflavones of the cellular pool was recovered from the culture medium, 90% of which were monoprenylated and diprenylated derivatives containing 80% of the radioactivity. These results clearly demonstrate the release into the culture medium of a substantial amount of the endogenously synthesized isoflavonoids, especially the prenylated derivatives.     

Mitochondrial protein synthesis in vitro is not an artifact

It is definitively shown that the D variant of bovine β-lactoglobulin D differs from the B variant in having a substitution Gln → Glu which involves residue 45 in the complete sequence recently published by Braunitzer et al. [4].     

Host-Parasite Relationships of Meloidogyne arenaria and M. incognita on Susceptible Soybean

Pathogenicity and reproduction of single and combined populations of Meloidogyne arenaria and M. incognita on a susceptible soybean (Glycine max cv. Davis) were investigated. Significant galling and egg mass production were observed on roots of greenhouse-grown soybean inoculated with M. arenaria and M. incognita, in combination and individually. M. arenaria produced more galls and egg masses than M. incognita, whereas in combined inoculation with both nematode species, gall and egg production was intermediate. In growth chamber tests, inoculations with M. arenaria and M. incognita, singly or in combination, produced more galls and egg masses at 30 C than at 25 C. At 25 C, M. arenaria alone produced significantly more galls and egg masses than the combined M. arenaria plus M. incognita, while M. incognita produced the fewest. At 30 C, numbers of egg masses produced by M. arenaria did not differ significantly from combined M. arenaria and M. incognita. In temperature tank tests, M. incognita produced more galls and egg masses at 28 C than at 24 C soil temperature. In contrast, numbers of galls, egg masses, and eggs of M. arenaria were slightly higher at 24 C than at 28 C. Combined inoculum of both nematode species produced greater numbers of galls at 24 C than at 28 C.