Bacteria of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">Burkholderia cepacia</Emphasis> complex are cyanogenic under biofilm and colonial growth conditions

Background  

The Burkholderia cepacia complex (Bcc) is a collection of nine genotypically distinct but phenotypically similar species. They show wide ecological diversity and include species that are used for promoting plant growth and bio-control as well species that are opportunistic pathogens of vulnerable patients. Over recent years the Bcc have emerged as problematic pathogens of the CF lung. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is another important CF pathogen. It is able to synthesise hydrogen cyanide (HCN), a potent inhibitor of cellular respiration. We have recently shown that HCN production by P. aeruginosa may have a role in CF pathogenesis. This paper describes an investigation of the ability of bacteria of the Bcc to make HCN.     

Effect of ultra-low dose of ionizing radiation on the surface potential of erythrocytes

Effect of ionizing radiation in ultralow dose (5 microGy) on responses of erythrocyte electrophoretic motility (EPM) as a result of adrenoreceptor ligands binding (0.01-100 microM) has been investigated. The opposite directional EPM responses to agonists (adrenaline, isoprenaline) and antagonist (propranolol) of beta-adrenoreceptors was shown. At that, EPM response to the radiation coincides both with the direction and value of acting the beta-adrenoreceptor agonists depressing EPM. The EPM response to a combined action of beta-adrenoreceptors antagonist, propranolol (10 microM), and ionizing radiation is additive. The above listed is capable to evidence about the essential role of adrenoreceptors at formation of erythrocyte membrane surface charge under action of ionizing radiation in ultralow doses.     

The extracellular proteases of the phytopathogenic bacterium Xanthomonas campestris

The culture liquids of three Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris strains were found to possess proteolytic activity. The culture liquid of strain B-611 with the highest proteolytic activity was fractionated by salting-out with ammonium sulfate, gel filtration, and ion-exchange chromatography. The electrophoretic analysis of active fractions showed the presence of two proteases in the culture liquid of strain B-611, the major of which being serine protease. The treatment of cabbage seedlings with the proteases augmented the activity of peroxidase in the cabbage roots by 28%.     

Characteristics of glucocorticoid receptor gene expression in spontaneously hypertensive rat strain

In ISIAH rat strain with stress-sensitive form of hypertension, the expression level of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) gene has been evaluated in hippocampus, hypothalamus and pituitary under basal and 2-hr restraint stress conditions. Corticosterone (CS) level in peripheral blood was also evaluated. Normotensive WAG strain was used as a control. Under basal condition, there were no interstrain differences in GR-mRNA level in any brain region under study. However, under stress condition, ISIAH rats demonstrated a significant fall of GR-mRNA in hippocampus and increase the pituitary gland as compared to basal level. On the contrary, no differences with basal level were found in stressed WAG rats. CS concentration in blood was nearly the same in nonstressed WAG and ISIAH rats. Stress influence led to a marked increase of CS in both strains. However CS level was significantly higher in stressed ISIAH rats than in stressed WAG group.     

Left sided ablation for Atrioventricular Nodal Re-entrant Tachycardia: Frequency,Characteristics and Outcomes

BackgroundLeft-sided ablation, targeting left inferior AV nodal extensions, is thought to be necessary for success in a small proportion of atrioventricular nodal re-entrant tachycardia (AVNRT) ablations; however Indian data are scarce in this regard.MethodsConsecutive cases of AVNRT undergoing slow pathway ablation in a single centre over an 18-month period were retrospectively analyzed. Left-sided ablation at the posteroseptal mitral annulus was performed if right-sided ablation failed to abolish AVNRT.ResultsFrom January 2017 to June 2018, out of 215 consecutive supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) cases, 154 (71.6%) were AVNRT (47.1 ± 13.1 years, 46.1% male). Trans-septal ablation was required in 5 (3.2%) cases (mean age 48.8 ± 9.4 years; 4 female, 1 male); all with typical (slow-fast) form of AVNRT. Compared with cases needing only right-sided ablation, radiofrequency time (50.8 ± 16.9 vs. 9.9 ± 8.5 min; p = 0.005) and procedure time (166.0 ± 35.0 vs 79.6 ± 35.9 min; p = 0.004) were significantly longer for trans-septal cases, while baseline intervals and tachycardia cycle length were not significantly different. Junctional ectopy was seen in only 2 of the 5 cases during left-sided ablation, but acute success (non-inducibility) was obtained in 3 cases. There were no instances of AV block. Over mean follow-up of 12.2 ± 4.0 months, clinical recurrence of AVNRT occurred in one case, while others remained arrhythmia-free without medication.ConclusionLeft-sided ablation was required in a small proportion of AVNRT ablations. Trans-septal approach targeting the posteroseptal mitral annulus was safe and yielded good mid-term clinical success.     

Dyssynchronous Ventricular Activation in Asymptomatic Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome: A Risk Factor for Development of Dilated Cardiomyopathy

A subset of children and adults with Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome develop dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Although DCM may occur in symptomatic WPW patients with sustained tachyarrhythmias, emerging evidence suggests that significant left ventricular dysfunction may arise in WPW in the absence of incessant tachyarrhythmias. An invariable electrophysiological feature in this non-tachyarrhythmia type of DCM is the presence of a right-sided septal or paraseptal accessory pathway. It is thought that premature ventricular activation over these accessory pathways induces septal wall motion abnormalities and ventricular dyssynchrony. LV dyssynchrony induces cellular and structural ventricular remodelling, which may have detrimental effects on cardiac performance. This review summarizes recent evidence for development of DCM in asymptomatic patients with WPW, discusses its pathogenesis, clinical presentation, management and treatment. The prognosis of accessory pathway-induced DCM is excellent. LV dysfunction reverses following catheter ablation of the accessory pathway, suggesting an association between DCM and ventricular preexcitation. Accessory pathway-induced DCM should be suspected in all patients presenting with heart failure and overt ventricular preexcitation, in whom no cause for their DCM can be found.     

The hepatocyte ultrastructure of the Sevan trout (Salmo ischchan gegarkuni Kessel) in ontogeny]

Hepatocytes of Lake Sevan Salmo were examined at several stages in their life cycles which are different from the point of view of the manner of feeding. Salmo were reared at the fish farm, they were fed with the yolk of the chick eggs. It was revealed that hepatocytes of larva, which was sampled immediately after hatching (endogenous feeding) intensively synthesized the proteins; accumulated and secreted the bile product stored glycogen and lipids. The ultrastructure of larva hepatocytes changed on the 5th and 10th day after larva began to accept food (mixed feeding--endogenous and exogenous). Golgi complex became bigger, glycogen disappeared, lipid droplets became smaller (on the 5th day) and disappeared completely (on the 10th day). Morphological differentiation finishes during the fingerling period (exogenous feeding). Cisternae of granular endoplasmic reticulum (GER) and mitochondria are arranged around nucleus, near bile canaliculus and sinusoids. Big areas of glycogen lie between the organelles. Relative volumes of GER, mitochondria, glycogen increased, but the relative volume of Golgi complex diminished.     

Cholesterol uptake in the small intestine of the rat in experiments in vitro

The kinetic and thermodynamic parameters of cholesterol uptake in the small intestine of rats were determined in vitro under normal and hypercholesterolemic conditions. It is established that the cholesterol uptake by the small intestine mucosa is a process of the zero order and the rate of its uptake is constant during the whole period of studies. The cholesterol uptake by mucosa during hypercholesterolemia occurs at a higher rate than under normal conditions. Activation energy for the cholesterol uptake is 10.52 Cal/mol under normal conditions, while it is reduced to 7.9 Cal/mol under experimental hypercholesterolemia. The experimental data permit suggesting that the membrane of the mucous brush border possesses a rather high energy barrier for the cholesterol uptake indicating the active nature of its uptake in the small intestine.