Survival of Shigella in Sewage: II. Effect of Glycerol on Shigella flexneri and Shigella Bacteriophage1

Glycerol (30%) inhibited or delayed the adsorption of Shigella bacteriophage on its host organism, S. flexneri II; glycerol also inhibited or delayed the burst of phage, whether or not adsorption was carried out in the presence of glycerol. Studies of the mechanisms of these effects showed that viscosity and osmotic shock probably were not responsible for either phenomenon. The inhibition of adsorption, however, was proportional to the concentration of glycerol, and appeared to be a function of the hydroxyl groups on the glycerol molecule. The inhibition of burst seemed to be related to the osmotic pressure outside the bacterial cells.     

Ornithine lipid of Mycobacterium tuberculosis: its distribution in some slow- and fast-growing mycobacteria

An ornithine-amide lipid is present in Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Its structure was established by a combination of chemical analysis and mass spectrometry. 3-Hydroxyoctadecanoic and 3-hydroxyeicosanoic acids (and homologues) were found to be linked through an amide bond to the alpha-amino group of L-ornithine, the hydroxyl group of the fatty acid being esterified mainly by tuberculostearic acid (10-methyloctadecanoic acid). This ornithine-amide lipid was detected in several other slow-growing pathogenic mycobacteria by thin layer chromatography, but not in an avirulent strain (H37 Ra) of M. tuberculosis. In each case mass spectrometry showed that all the structures were identical, thus revising an earlier reported structure for the lipid from M. bovis.     

Paradoxical effects of oxytocin and vasopressin on basal prolactin secretion and the estrogen-induced prolactin surge

The roles of oxytocin (OT) and vasopressin (AVP) on both basal and estrogen-induced prolactin (PRL) secretion were examined. Adult female Sprague-Dawley rats that were ovariectomized for 3 weeks and received estrogen treatment for 1 week were used. Intravenous administration of hormones and serial blood sampling were accomplished through indwelling intraatrial catheters which were implanted two days before. Plasma PRL levels were measured by radioimmunoassay. Oxytocin at a dose of 20 micrograms/rat stimulated a moderate PRL release in the morning and lower doses (5 and 10 micrograms) were without effect. Vasopressin was most effective at a dose of 5 micrograms/rat in stimulating PRL release, while consecutive injections of higher doses (10 and 20 micrograms) were less effective. In contrast, TRH, ranging from 1 to 8 micrograms/rat, induced a dose-dependent increases in PRL secretion. Using the effective dosages determined from the morning studies, repeated injections of either OT, AVP or their specific antagonists MPOMeOVT [( 1-(beta-mercapto-beta, beta-cyclopentamethylene propanoic acid), 2-(O-methyl)tyrosine, 8-ornithine]-vasotocin) and d (CH2)5Tyr(Me)AVP ([1-(beta-mercapto-beta, beta-cyclo-pentamethylene propionic acid), 2-(O-methyl)tyrosine, 8-arginine]-vasopressin), were given hourly between 1300 to 1800 h and blood samples were obtained hourly from 1100 to 1900 h. It was found that either OT or AVP significantly reduced the afternoon PRL surge, while their antagonists were not as effective. When OT or AVP were administered together with their specific antagonists, the inhibitory effects of either hormone on PRL surge were reversed. Thus it is concluded that both OT and AVP assume a non-specific stress-like effect on PRL release, in which basal secretion is stimulated and surge secretion is inhibited.     

Common denominators in the etiology and pathology of visceral lesions of cystic fibrosis and Keshan disease

The common denominator of a unique disseminated multi-focal milliary myocardial hyaline necrosis and fibrosis in Keshan disease (KSD) and cystic fibrosis (CF) and a commonality of the affected age groups of fetuses and preschool children led to the review of existing KSD autopsy material to search for pancreatic and hepatic lesions considered pathognomonic for CF. Pancreatic lesions considered pathognomonic for CF were found in 595, or 35% of 1700 documented cases of KSD. The pancreatic lesions were limited to tissues of fetuses and preschool children. Adults dying of KSD had diagnostic lesions limited to the cardiovascular system, liver, and skeletal muscle. Varying degrees of focal biliary cirrhosis were identified in 850, or 50% of the KSD autopsies, and 85, or 5% developed severe lobular cirrhosis. The common denominator in CF and KSD appears to be a primary or induced secondary selenium deficiency in age-susceptable humans, prenatally at or around 22 wk of fetal life, during early postnatal life, or during the rapid-growth preschool years. The basic difference between the natural history of CF and KSD is that the selenium deficiency is totally environmental in KSD and appears to be the result of a maternal malabsorptive syndrome or an abnormality of selenium transfer in CF.     

High dose antioxidant supplementation to MS patients. Effects on glutathione peroxidase, clinical safety, and absorption of selenium.

High-dose antioxidant supplementation has recently been recommended for multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. This study tests the clinical safety, the glutathione peroxidase (GSH-px) activity, and the absorption of selenium during such supplementation. Eighteen MS patients were given 6 tablets especially made for this study, equivalent to 6 mg sodium selenite, 2 g vitamin C, and 480 mg vitamin E a day for five wk. GSH-px, which was lower than in non-MS controls before the start of treatment, increased fivefold during 5 wk of treatment. Side effects were scarce. Ten MS patients were subjected to a 24-h selenium absorption study after ingestion of 2 active tablets, equivalent to 2 mg sodium selenite. Selenium, which was low initially, increased 24% during the first 3 h and then stabilized. It is concluded that the tested antioxidant treatment seems to be safe and that MS patients have low GSH-px, which may be increased by the tested antioxidant treatment.     

黄臀鹎禁食和夜间能量物质消耗的研究

本文报道分布于昆明地区的黄臀鹎Pycnonotus xanthorrhous在禁食和四季夜间能量物质——脂肪、蛋白质和糖的消耗情况。结果表明,在人为禁食条件下黄臀鹎的存活时间仅19小时,死亡时躯脂降低79％,去脂飞翔肌干重降低46％,肝糖降低96％。在夜间黄臀鹎消耗大量的储存脂肪,并以冬季的消耗量最大。肝糖提供的能量极少。在繁殖期和换羽期,储存的飞翔肌蛋白质在夜间大量分解以提供鸟体的需要。     

懒猴属的核糖体DNA变异及其种间分化关系

用１５种限制性内切酶和人２８Ｓ、１８ＳｒＤＮＡ探针构建了懒猴属各物种核糖体ＤＮＡ重复单位的限制性内切酶图谱。在进化速率较高的非转录间隔区,在大、中、小懒猴中分别定位了２３、２４、２４个酶切位点。大懒猴与中懒猴有１２个位点不同,与小懒猴有１４个位点不同,而中、小懒猴间则只有一个位点的差异。经过计算,大懒猴与中懒猴的遗传距离值为１２．６５％,与小懒猴的差异为１４．２４％,中、小懒猴间的差异则仅为０．７     

云南姬鼠的蛋白多态性及其遗传分化关系

本文采用蛋白电泳技术对来源于云南省若干地区的姬鼠属（Ａｐｏｄｅｍｕｓ）的３种姬鼠──高山姬鼠（Ａ．ｃｈｅｖｒｉｅｒｉ）８只,中华姬鼠（Ａ．ｄｒａｃｏ）３只和大耳姬鼠（Ａ．ｌａｔｒｏｎｕｍ）１只,以及作为外群的同科的绒鼠属的大绒鼠（Ｈａｐａｌｏｍｙｓｄｅｌａｌｏｒｉ）３只进行了分析。共检测遗传座位２７个,发现２１个座位存在多态性。根据蛋白多态的数据对研究对象进行遗传分化关系的探讨,用系统分析软件ＰＨＹＬＩＰ计算它们之间的分化关系,得到了一棵无根系统树。结果表明,作为外群的大绒鼠明显不同于其它３种姬鼠而聚在最外面。８只高山姬鼠个体汇聚成独立的一支,中华姬鼠的３个个体也聚成一支,但大耳姬鼠却聚在中华姬鼠一支中,因此我们认为大耳姬鼠同中华姬鼠的分化时间可能比较晚近。     

Gene transfer is a major factor in bacterial evolution

Lateral gene transfer in four strains of Salmonella enterica has been assessed using genomic subtraction. Strain LT2 (subspecies I serovar Typhimurium) chromosomal DNA was used as target and subtracted by three subspecies I strains of serovars Typhimurium (S21), Muenchen (S71), Typhi (M229), and a subspecies V strain (M321). Data from probing random cosmids of LT2 DNA with preparations of the residual LT2 DNA after subtraction were used to estimate the amounts of LT2 DNA not able to hybridize to strains S21, S71, M229, and M321 to be in the range of 84-106, 191-355, 305-629, and 778-1,286 kb, respectively. Several lines of evidence indicate that most of this DNA is from genes not present in strain M321 and not from genes that have diverged in sequence. The amounts correlate with the divergence of the four strains as revealed by multilocus enzyme electrophoresis and sequence variation of housekeeping genes. Sequence of 39 of the fragments from the M321 subtracted residual LT2 DNA revealed only six inserts of known gene function with evidence of both gain and loss of genes during the development of S. enterica clones. Sixteen of the 39 segments have 45% or lower G+C content, below the species average, but over half are within the normal range for the species. We conclude that even within a species, clones may differ by up to 20% of chromosomal DNA, indicating a major role for lateral transfer, and that on the basis of G+C content, a significant proportion of the DNA is from distantly related species.