The development of the epidemic process and the formation of humoral immunity to the hepatitis A virus in adolescent collectives

Additional observation on the formation of humoral immunity to hepatitis A virus has been carried out in 2,375 adolescents aged 15-17 years and belonging to 12 groups at 3 areas of the USSR. This observation has shown that in the presence of a high level of the immune stratum the spread of infection occurs, as a rule, outside the group under observation. Besides, as revealed in this study, the risk of seroconversion and the loss of specific antibodies are, respectively, directly and inversely related to the level of the immune stratum in the group. The level of the immune stratum in a given age group supposedly reflects the intensity of the development of the epidemic process at a definite area.     

The effect of tetrodotoxin on the sodium gating current in the squid giant axon.

The effect of tetrodotoxin (TTX) on the sodium gating current in the squid giant axon was examined by recording the current that flowed at the pulse potential at which the ionic current fell to zero, first in the absence and then in the presence of TTX. The addition of 1 microM TTX to the bathing solution had no consistent effect on the size of the initial peak of the gating current, but resulted in small changes in the timecourse of its subsequent relaxation which were mainly caused by a reduction of about one quarter in the component that has a delayed onset and may possibly arise from changes in the state of ionization of groups in the channel wall when the lumen fills with water. Our findings suggest that the binding of TTX at the outer face of the sodium channel does not interfere with the mechanisms of activation and inactivation by the voltage sensors, but has an allosteric effect on the access of internal cations to the inside of the channel.     

Activation of TIMP-2/progelatinase A complex by stromelysin.

Progelatinase A was purified as a complex with TIMP-2 from the conditioned medium of a human glioblastoma cell line. The TIMP-2/progelatinase complex was resistant to the activation by p-aminophenylmercuric acetic acid (APMA), and showed less than 10% of the activity of the TIMP-2-free active enzyme. When the complex was incubated with stromelysin in the presence of APMA, the 64-kDa progelatinase was effectively converted to the 57-kDa mature enzyme, increasing its gelatinolytic activity about 8-fold. These results suggest that stromelysin is a natural activator of TIMP-2-bound progelatinase A.     

Isolation and sequence of a tropomyosin-binding fragment of turkey gizzard calponin

Limited chymotryptic cleavage of turkey gizzard calponin yields a 13 kDa fragment which could be purified by its ability to bind to Sepharose-immobilized tropomyosin. This 13 kD polypeptide is shown to be derived from a 22 kDa fragment. Complete amino acid sequence analysis of the 13 kD and 22 kD fragments reveals high homology with the formerly characterized smooth muscle-specific protein SM22 alpha (Pearlstone, J.R., Weber, M., Lees-Miller, J.P., Carpenter, M.R. and Smillie L.B., 1987, J. Biol. Chem. 262, 5985-5991) and the product of gene mp20 of Drosophila (Ayme-Southqate, A., Lasko, P., French, C, and Pardue, M.L. [(1989) J. Cell Biol. 108, 521-531]. Futhermore we recognize sequence elements of a putative actin-binding domain of alpha-actinin, the calpactin I or p 36 sequence, and a consensus motif present in the repeats of the gene product of the candidate unc-87 gene of C. elegans (S.D. Goetinck and R.H. Waterston, personal communication).     

Organization of reflex sympathetic influence on rate and force of cardiac contraction]

In acute experiments on 21 cats it was proved that the change of afferent impulse on vagus nerves by means of either freeze-block or electrostimulation of their central ends results in differential reflex influences on rhythm and force of the cardiac contractions caused by sympathetic nervous system. The cut of the lower cardiac nerves may cause 'break-up' of the observed reflex, removing or inverting its ino- or chronotropy component. The given phenomenon was revealed in the experiments with high arterial pressure and with absence of tonic chronotropy influences of the left lower cardiac nerve.     

Evaluation of the Mast ID and API 50CH systems for identification of Listeria spp

A multipoint inoculation technique (Mast ID) for the identification and species determination of Listeria monocytogenes (sensu strictu) and six other species of the genus Listeria was evaluated. This was compared with the commercially available API 50CH system. Both methods successfully identified all 123 strains tested. The Mast ID system is inexpensive and utilizing a multipoint inoculation technique permits the screening of up to 21 isolates per 9-cm petri dish. The API 50CH system was more expensive and time consuming and is therefore suitable only for the examination of smaller numbers of strains.