Increase in hepatic ubiquinone on administration of diethylhexyl phthalate to the rat

It is shown for the first time that the content of ubiquinone of liver increases (2.5 fold) on dietary administration of the widely-used industrial Plasticizer diethylhexyl Phthalate to the rat. The increase is localized almost entirely in mitochondria in which the concentration of the quinone Per mg Protein is 1.7 times the control. IncorPoration of the radioactive Precursor (acetate) reveals that the biosynthesis of ubiquinone is increased in the livers of Plasticizer-administered animals. The rate of degradation is not altered.     

Purification and immunological characterization of catfish (Heteropneustes fossilis) metallothionein

Catfish hepatic metallothionein was purified to homogeneity by Sephadex G-75 gel filtration, DEAE-Sephadex A-25 column chromatography and preparative polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Induction by cadmium and zinc, characteristic UV spectrum, cadmium binding property and its low MW established that it was a metallothionein. Antibody was raised in rabbit against catfish metallothionein. Catfish antimetallothionein cross-reacted with other fish metallothioneins but not with chicken or rodent metallothionein. Catfish metallothionein is more electronegative as compared to mouse, rat, chicken or hamster metallothionein. Catfish MT appeared to aggregate readily on storage and to be less electronegative.     

Immunomodulatory role of thyroid hormones: effect on humoral immune response to Salmonella typhi O antigen

Effect of long term administration of thyroid hormones and the removal of thyroid on humoral antibody response to S. typhi O antigen was studied in male albino rats of HM strain. Humoral antibody response to S. typhi O antigen was enhanced in animals pretreated with T3 or T4 at a dose of 10 micrograms daily for 15 days. Administration of thyroid hormones simultaneously along with antigen, resulted in suppression of antibody response. In thyroidectomized animals, the antibody titer to S. typhi O antigen was decreased; this decrease in antibody titer was restored to normal level following hormone supplementation. Thyroidectomy significantly depressed TLC as well. Total leucocyte count and absolute lymphocyte count were increased following hormone treatment. Present findings, thus show the lymphoproliferative response of thyroid hormones and their effect on antibody response suggesting the immunomodulatory role of thyroid hormones.     

Effect of thyroid hormones on delayed type hypersensitivity reaction

The effect of long term administration of thyroid hormones and its deprivation on delayed type hypersensitivity (DTH) reaction to 2-4 dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB) was studied. Animals were either pre-treated with thyroid hormones (T3 or T4) for 15 days and then subjected to DNCB skin test or the animals received thyroid hormones and simultaneously subjected to DNCB skin test. In both the cases DTH reaction was found to be increased significantly. When DNCB skin test was performed in the thyroidectomized animals, DNCB skin reaction was significantly decreased and the reaction was restored to normal following supplementation of thyroid hormones to the thyroidectomized animals. TLC and ALC were increased significantly following hormone treatment and thyroidectomized animals. TLC hand, induced significant depression in the count which was restored by hormone administration to the thyroidectomized animals.     

Clinical and experimental mycotic keratitis caused by Aspergillus terreus and the effect of subconjunctival oxiconazole treatment in the animal model

Aspergillus terreus was isolated from a case of Keratomycosis. The patient, a 50 year old, female presented with a large corneal ulcer with hypopyon. The direct microscopic examination of the scrapings revealed hyaline, thin, septate and branched hyphae. In vitro some antimycotics (amphotericin B,5-fluorocytosine, oxiconazole, amorolfine and ketoconazole) were tested against A. terreus by agar dilution method. Ketoconazole with MIC of 3 gmg/ml after 7 days of incubation was most effective followed by oxiconazole (10g/ml). Experimental corneal ulcer was produced by injecting intralamellary 0.1 ml of the spore suspension containing 10×10₆ cfu/ml into the eyes of previously immunocompressed albino rabbits. Histopathologic examination showed infiltration and large destruction of the corneal stroma. Subconjunctival oxiconazole therapy exhibited complete cure. Based on our findings, a clinical evaluation of oxiconazole in human keratomycosis seems to be justified.     

β-Amylolytic activities ofEmericella nidulans (eidam) vuill

Summary Screening of fungal isolates led to selection of a strain ofEmericella nidulans 45 producing exocellular -amylase in a starch medium. Studies of dialysed enzyme and the formulation of the medium for the enzyme production are presented.     

A comparison of aberration distribution and cell-cycle progression in cells treated with bleomycin with those exposed to X-rays

The extent of cell-cycle delay and the frequency of aberrant metaphases induced by bleomycin (BLM) and X-rays have been compared at doses which produce similar frequencies of chromosome aberrations by the 2 clastogenic agents (BLM, 40 micrograms/ml and X-rays, 2 Gy) in muntjac lymphocytes. The frequency of aberrant metaphases was low in BLM-treated cells; however, the number of aberrations per metaphase was higher than in cells exposed to X-rays. Thus in contrast to their uniform sensitivity to X-rays, the lymphocytes showed differential sensitivity to BLM. This might be due to differences among the cells in their uptake of BLM and/or its action on the nuclear membrane-DNA complex. In spite of the total number of chromosome aberrations being similar to that induced by X-rays, BLM did not induce a significant delay in cell-cycle progression as observed in the case of X-rays. A possible explanation could be that the DNA damages being limited to fewer cells than in the case of X-irradiation, the BLM-treated cultures had more normal cells allowing faster progression and/or unlike X-rays BLM may not be causing other cellular damages in addition to DNA breaks.     

Cell cycle dependent variation of calmodulin in Tetrahymena

The level of calmodulin (CaM), a ubiquitous calcium-binding protein of eukaryotic cells was determined at different phases of the cell cycle in a synchronized Tetrahymena population. It was found that the concentration of CaM at G1 was approximately half of the concentration of S and this 2 x G1 level of CaM was maintained through the G2 and M stages of the cell cycle. To ascertain the role of CaM in the initiation of DNA synthesis, the cells were treated with trifluoperazine (TFP), a CaM antagonist, and EGTA (Ca2+-chelator) at the G1/S boundary. It was found that DNA synthesis was inhibited in these drug-treated cells. The uptake of the nucleotide precursor was not affected in TFP and EGTA treated cells, thus excluding the possibility of alteration in the membrane transport properties. Treatment with TFP failed to inhibit the synchronous mitotic division in Tetrahymena. The existence of a variable content of CaM through the cell cycle of Tetrahymena was demonstrated, suggesting the possible involvement of this Ca2+-binding protein in the nuclear DNA replication process.     

Further novel amido sugars within the glycopeptidolipid antigens of Mycobacterium avium

The individual serovars of the Mycobacterium avium complex, a source of serious and persistent infections in individuals with underlying immune deficiencies, also present an extraordinary set of novel sugar epitopes as part of their type-specific glycopeptidolipid surface antigens. Californium desorption-mass spectrometry has been successfully applied to the holistic glycopeptidolipid antigen of M. avium serovar 12 and its per-O-acetyl derivative, to arrive at the following structure, of molecular mass 1876: (Sequence: see text). The pentasaccharide hapten, released as the tetraglycosyl alditol, was subjected to methylation analysis, absolute configurational analysis, 1H NMR and fast atom bombardment-mass spectrometry to arrive at the structure: 4-(2'-Hydroxy) propionamido-4,6-dideoxy-3-O-Me-Glcp (beta 1----3)-4-O-Me-L-Rhap (alpha 1----3)-L-Rhap (alpha 1----3)-L-Rhap (alpha 1----2)-6-deoxytalitol. Two-dimensional proton correlation spectroscopy was also applied to determine the configuration of the unique distal segment of the oligosaccharide unit. The significance of this structure in the context of the fully elucidated structures of the antigens from 12 of the 31-member M. avium complex is discussed.