Sterol-binding polysaccharides of Rhizopus arrhizus, Penicillium roquefortii and Saccharomyces carlsbergensis

Polysaccharides that bind with sterols and render them water-soluble were isolated from two mycelial fungi, Rhizopus arrhizus and Penicillium roquefortii and a yeast Saccharomyces carlsbergensis. The polysaccharides from R. arrhizus and S. carlsbergensis were accompanied by small quantities of phosphorus, protein and lipid, none of which significantly influenced the binding of sterol to polysaccharide. The chemical composition and sterol-binding properties of the polysaccharides from the filamentous species were almost identical, but differed significantly from those of the yeast polysaccharide. The principal sterol-binding polysaccharide of S. carlsbergensis was identified as a mannan and that of the filamentous fungi as a glucan(s). The binding capacity of the purified yeast polysaccharide was almost two-fold greater than that of R. arrhizus and P. roquefortii.     

Influence of clonidine on the acute tolerance pattern to morphine induced analgesia and sensitivity changes in mice

Pretreatment with clonidine inhibited the acute tolerance development to morphine-induced analgesia and sensitivity changes of the smooth muscles to exogenous acetylcholine and norepinephrine in mice. Clonidine per se enhanced the responsiveness of mouse ileum and vas deference to the above agonists and no signs of tolerance was evident for this effect and to its analgesic activity.     

Tolypocladium cylindrosporum [Deuteromycetes,Moniliaceae] a new pathogen of mosquito larvae

Tolypocladium cylindrosporum Gams isolated fromAedes australis Erichson in New Zealand, and another strain isolated from soil in Czechoslovakia have shown pathogenicity for larvae of mosquitoes. The infection was transmited with conidia suspended in water and hyphae entered the body of larvae from the midgut. First symptoms of the infection appear 5 days after infection; in 7 days all exposed larvae were killed. Pupae and adult mosquitoes were not infected. Both strains grow and sporulate well on Sabouraud's agar. Somme morphological data show the variability of hyphae, conidiophores and conidia.     

Comparative Utilization of Paraffins by a Trichosporon Species

Utilization of normal and isoparaffins, separately and in mixtures, by a Trichosporon sp. was investigated. From a mixture of normal paraffins and isoparaffins, the organism consumed straight-chain paraffins, leaving the branched paraffins relatively unchanged. When offered separately, the highest utilization of n-alkanes by the organism was obtained in the range of undecane to octadecane; n-pentadecane was poorly utilized. From a mixture of n-alkanes, the rate of consumption of shorter-chain alkanes, n-decane to n-dodecane, was found to be relatively faster and more uniform than that of longer-chain alkanes.     

Effects of different supplements to low protein and poor quality protein diets on performance and brain enzymes in the albino rat

Groups of albino rats were fed low and high protein diets and the former group was fed with different supplements. The supplements used were niacin, pyridoxine and glutamic acid. A low protein diet was found to decrease the activities of l -glutamate-NAD-oxidoreductase and l -glutamate-1-carboxy-lyase in the cerebrum; this confirmed the results of previous work in this laboratory. Addition of glutamic acid to a low protein diet was found to reverse the effects of a low protein diet to some extent. Groups of animals were fed kodri (Paspalum scorbiculatum), a millet deficient in lysine, with or without lysine itself or foodstuffs rich in it, e.g. moth bean (Phaseolus aconitifolius Jacq.), peas (Pisum sativuni) and skim milk powder. When combined, the groups fed on the lysine or lysine-source supplemented diets were found to perform better in a water maze on the basis of the relative ease with which they could reverse a previous learned pattern. They also had higher activities of l -glutamate-NAD-oxidoreductase and l -glutamate-1-carboxy-lyase than groups with no lysine or lysine source added. There was no significant difference between the groups receiving the different lysine supplements.     

An IRF5 Decoy Peptide Reduces Myocardial Inflammation and Fibrosis and Improves Endothelial Cell Function in Tight-Skin Mice

Interferon regulatory factor 5 (IRF5) has been called a “master switch” for its ability to determine whether cells mount proinflammatory or anti-inflammatory responses. Accordingly, IRF5 should be an attractive target for therapeutic drug development. Here we report on the development of a novel decoy peptide inhibitor of IRF5 that decreases myocardial inflammation and improves vascular endothelial cell (EC) function in tight-skin (Tsk/+) mice. Biolayer interferometry studies showed the Kd of IRF5D for recombinant IRF5 to be 3.72 ± 0.74x10^-6M. Increasing concentrations of IRF5D (0–100 μg/mL, 24h) had no significant effect on EC proliferation or apoptosis. Treatment of Tsk/+ mice with IRF5D (1mg/kg/d subcutaneously, 21d) reduced IRF5 and ICAM-1 expression and monocyte/macrophage and neutrophil counts in Tsk/+ hearts compared to expression in hearts from PBS-treated Tsk/+ mice (p<0.05). EC-dependent vasodilatation of facialis arteries isolated from PBS-treated Tsk/+ mice was reduced (~15%). IRF5D treatments (1mg/kg/d, 21d) improved vasodilatation in arteries isolated from Tsk/+ mice nearly 3-fold (~45%, p<0.05), representing nearly 83% of the vasodilatation in arteries isolated from C57Bl/6J mice (~55%). IRF5D (50μg/mL, 24h) reduced nuclear translocation of IRF5 in myocytes cultured on both Tsk/+ cardiac matrix and C57Bl/6J cardiac matrix (p<0.05). These data suggest that IRF5 plays a causal role in inflammation, fibrosis and impaired vascular EC function in Tsk/+ mice and that treatment with IRF5D effectively counters IRF5-dependent mechanisms of inflammation and fibrosis in the myocardium in these mice.