Effect of high temperature on infectivity of Toxoplasma gondii tissue cysts in pork

To study the effect of high temperature on infectivity of Toxoplasma gondii tissue cysts, pork from infected pigs was mixed with infected mouse brains and homogenized thoroughly. Twenty-gram samples of infected homogenized meat were sealed in plastic pouches, pressed to a uniform thickness of 2 mm, and subjected to water-bath temperatures of 49, 52, 55, 58, 61, 64, and 67 C for 0.01, 3, 6, 9, 12, 24, 48, and 96 min. Treated samples were digested in HCl-pepsin solution and bioassayed in mice. Toxoplasma gondii tissue cysts remained viable at 52 C for 9.5 min but not for 9.5 min at 58 C; tissue cysts were generally rendered nonviable by heating to 61 C or higher temperature for 3.6 min. Tissue cysts survived once at 64 C for 3 min. These data demonstrate that T. gondii tissue cysts are less heat resistant than encysted Trichinella spiralis larvae.     

The gene coding for the p68 calcium-binding protein is localised to bands q32–q34 of human chromosome 5, and to mouse chromosome 11

Summary The gene encoding a tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases, TIMP, has previously been shown to be X-linked in both the human and mouse genomes. We have used a series of somatic cell hybrids segregating translocation and deletion X chromosomes to map the TIMP gene on the human X chromosome. In combination with previous data, the gene can be assigned to Xp11.23Xp11.4. Genetic linkage analyses demonstrate that TIMP is linked to the more distal ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) locus at a distance of about 22 centimorgans. The data are consistent with the conclusion that TIMP maps to a conserved synteny and linkage group on the proximal short arm of the human X chromosome and on the pericentric region of the mouse X chromosome, including loci for synapsin-1, a member of the raf oncogene family, OTC, and TIMP.     

Evaluation of anti-coccidial drugs' inhibition of Neospora caninum development in cell cultures

Eight anti-coccidial drugs were examined for their efficacies in preventing development of Neospora caninum in bovine monocyte cell cultures. Lasalocid sodium (0.05 microgram/ml), monensin sodium (0.05 microgram/ml), piritrexim (0.01 microgram/ml), pyrimethamine (0.05 microgram/ml), and trimethoprim (5.0 micrograms/ml) were effective in preventing development of intracellular N. caninum tachyzoites (P less than 0.05). No differences (P greater than 0.05) in mean numbers of infected cells compared to controls were observed in cultures treated with amprolium hydrochloride (10.0 micrograms/ml), sulfadiazine (200.0 micrograms/ml), and sulfamethoxazole (200.0 micrograms/ml).