Effects of various alcoholic supplements on the growth rate of Clostridium acetobutylicum ATCC 824

Summary The inhibitory effect of various alkanols, benzyl alcohol and phenethyl alcohol on the growth rate of Clostridium acetobutylicum ATCC 824 was investigated. Inhibition of cell growth was studied by treating cultures with varied concentrations of alcohols. There was a threshold concentration above which growth inhibition occurred. The degree of inhibition was a linear function of the alcohol concentration used. The natural logarithm of the inhibition constant was shown to be: (1) a linear function of the chain length of the alkanols, (2) a linear function of the natural logarithm of the octanol/water partition coefficient for both aliphatic and cyclic alcohols.     

Effect of electric stimulation of the caudate nucleus on the foci of epileptic activity in the cerebral cortex

It was shown in the acute experiments on rats that caudate nucleus is one of the main structures of brain antiepileptic system. It was noted that reduction of the influence of activating cerebral structures is a tool for abolishing the proepileptic effects which occur in some cases under conditions of electrical stimulations of neostriatum. Results of the investigation confirm G. N. Kryzhanovsky theory of a role of system-antisystem interrelations in suppression of neuropathological syndromes as a result of system hyperactivity.     

Seasonal changes in the mineral composition of colostrum and milk whey of cows

It is shown that in summer the level of sodium, potassium and calcium in the colostrum and milk serum of cows for the first ten days of lactation is 1.5-2.0 times higher and the content of inorganic phosphorus lower than the analogous indices for cows in winter-spring. The concentration of iron, copper, zinc and chlorides in the colostrum and milk serum of cows in different seasons is unchanged.     

Comparison of antigenic properties of the X-potato virus and its coat proteins. Effect of proteolytic cleavage on antigenic characteristics

Antigenic properties of intact potato virus X (PVX) particles and of PVX coat protein (CP) preparations were compared using different modifications of ELISA test. In the competitive ELISA test (reaction in solution) antibodies to intact virus react much stronger with PVX than with CP while antibodies to CP react much stronger with CP than with PVX. In the direct ELISA test (reaction on the solid support) the difference in reactions of antiCP antibodies with PVX and CP is eliminated while the one in reactions of antiPVX antibodies with these antigens remains. No difference was registered in reactivity of PVX absorbed directly on polystyrene or on immunoglobulin-coated wells (sandwich ELISA) to antiCP antibodies.     

Effect of prenatal exposure to alcohol on membrane-bound enzymes during astrocyte development in vivo and in primary culture

In the present work we have analyzed the effect of prenatal ethanol exposure on the activity of several glial marker and functional enzymes during the development of astrocytes isolated from rat brain as well as in primary culture. The activity of marker enzymes glutamine synthetase and butylcholinesterase showed no differences between isolated astrocytes from 15 and 70 day old control rats. However, the activity of the membrane-bound enzymes (Na+K)ATPase and 5'-nucleotidase was higher in astrocytes from 70 day old control rats than in those from 15 day old animals. Although the pattern found in astrocytes from alcohol-exposed rats was similar to that of controls, the levels of activity of the enzymes were lower in alcoholic than in control animals. When control astrocytes in primary culture were used, the activity of (Na+K)ATPase and 5'-nucleotidase increased throughout the entire culture period. In contrast, the maximal activity of glutamine synthetase was found at 7 days of culture. Ethanol also induced a decrease in the activity of all enzymes, which was more evident at the end of the culture period. These results indicate that the activity of the enzyme markers analyzed increased mainly during the first weeks of life and remained constant after this period. By contrast, the membrane-bound enzymes studied showed a progressive increase with age. In conclusion, since these astrocyte enzymes are important in the regulation of several neuronal functions through the control of the composition of extracellular fluid, the effect of ethanol on their activities could explain some of the neuronal alterations reported in children and animals exposed to ethanol during development.     

Changes in somatosensory evoked potentials in patients with vertebrogenic pain syndromes treated by electroacupuncture

Application of electroacupuncture (EAP) of the segmental points to patients with vertebrogenic algesic syndromes decreased amplitude of N150 and P240 waves recorded from vertex to painful electrocutaneous stimulation in the region innervated by an affected root. As distinct from EAP of segmental point auricular EAP not only decreased the amplitude of late components of evoked potentials (EP), but also increased it, direction of EP changes depending on the character of sensitivity disorders. It is suggested that effect of EAP-evoked EP changes in patients with hypalgesia is determined by two oppositively acting factors: by a decrease of nociceptive afferent impulsation intensity as a result of the antinociceptive system activation and by an increase of the afferent impulsation intensity due to recovery of function of central terminals in primary sensory neurons.     

Ontogenetic features of autonomic homeostasis in children according to the data of variation pulsometry

A method of variation pulsometry was used to determine the vegetative homeostasis state in 20 children aged from 4 to 14. Normotonic type of the cardiac rhythm regulation was observed in a group of children aged 4-5. In children aged 12-14 the effect of sympathetic area of the vegetative nervous system decreased while the effect of the parasympathetic one increased. The tension index, effect of the humoral regulation channel and the degree of cardiac rhythm control centralization decreased.     

Ultrastructure of the contractile apparatus of rat skeletal muscle embedded in an aqueous medium

The method of tissue embedding in melamine resin was applied to rat skeletal muscle. This method does not require tissue dehydration with organic solvents; only aqueous solutions are used. Electron micrographs of muscles embedded in melamine differ from those embedded in the conventional epoxy resin. In melamine-embedded muscles the actin and myosin filaments appear larger in diameter and subunits can be recognized in cross-sectioned myosin filaments. Within the Z-line, the characteristic patterns described for muscles embedded in epoxy resin are not visible; the spaces between the actin filaments are filled with electron-dense material. This suggests that the Z-line is more compact than could be concluded from epoxy resin-embedded muscle specimens. The M-line appears to be different from what is observed in epoxy-embedded muscle. The membranes appear as several clearly delineated layers. Dehydration rather than the action of the organic solvents per se is the main reason for the differences in the structure of the contractile apparatus between melamine- and epoxy-embedded muscles.     

Intracellular free [Ca2+] in human skeletal muscle with myopathic carnitine deficiency

Carnitine is required for the transport of activated long chain fatty acids through the mitochondrial inner membrane. We measured the intracellular free calcium concentration [( Ca2+]i) by means of a calcium selective microelectrode in skeletal muscle biopsies obtained from nine patients in which myopathic carnitine deficiency (MCD) was diagnosed, and from six subjects with no evidence of neuromuscular disease. Intact intercostal muscle bundles were dissected and then split for electron microscopic studies and electrophysiological measurements. The [Ca2+]i in muscle fibers from MCD patients was 0.46 +/- 0.02 mumol.l-1 (mean +/- SEM) and 0.10 +/- 0.01 mumol.l-1 in control subjects. At the electron microscopic level, the predominant abnormality was the presence of lipid vacuoles between the myofibrils. These results show that in patients with myopathic carnitine deficiency there is a significant increase in the resting myoplasmic calcium concentration which might be related to a malfunction of some mechanisms responsible for the homeostasis of intracellular calcium.