Emphysematous pyelonephritis

A case of emphysematous pyelonephritis with perirenal gas is presented. This patient underwent vigorous medical treatment followed by nephrectomy and survived. This condition has a high mortality and should be distinguished from less severe infections where gas is confined to the collecting system. This case and others previously reported suggest that treatment should initially be medical, followed by early surgical intervention consisting of either drainage or nephrectomy depending upon the degree of renal involvement.     

Distribution of amino acids in the cellular fractions ofStaphylococcus aureus

WhenStaphylococcus aureus cells were labeled with a single radioactive amino acid for 20 minutes, the highest activity, except for alanine, leucine, and glycine, was found in the free pool. Significant amounts of the above amino acids and also valine and methionine were incorporated into the protein — cell wall fraction.Cells previously labeled with a single amino acid underwent a net loss of radioactivity when transferred to buffer, glucose, or complete medium. An exception was glycine. The greatest loss in activity occurred in the free pool.While some amino acids (alanine, cystine) were transferred from the free pool to the protein — cell wall fraction under all conditions tested, others (glutamic acid, proline) were transferred only under conditions of growth.Cells labeled with certain single amino acids and then transferred to a complete medium lost a significant portion of the label. The most extreme case noted was proline, but other amino acids also effluxed from the cell under these conditions.     

Cloning and Expression of a 5-Hydroxytryptamine7 Receptor Positively Coupled to Adenylyl Cyclase

Abstract: In a number of different cell types, phosphorylation of a 63-kDa protein has been shown to increase rapidly in response to stimuli that lead to an increase in intracellular calcium. Here, a stimulus-sensitive protein at this molecular weight is identified in PC12 cells and rat cortical synaptosomes as phosphoglucomutase. In addition, the added phosphate is shown to be in an oligosaccharide terminating in phosphodiester-linked glucose. In synaptosomes, incorporated radioactivity, following incubation with [¹⁴C]glucose or the [β-³⁵S]phosphorothioate analogue of UDP-glucose, was found to increase within 5 s of stimulation and return to baseline within 25 s. Despite the many pathways utilizing glucose, this was the only detectable protein glycosylation observed in synaptosomes. These results indicate that cytoplasmic glycosylation is reversible and rapidly regulated, and suggest that phosphoglucomutase undergoes an alteration in function and/or topography in response to increases in intracellular calcium.     

Resolution of microbial mixtures by free flow electrophoresis

Summary The resolution of bacterial mixtures by free flow electrophoresis (FFE) was not affected by the position of the microbes on the growth curve and approximately 70% of the individual cells applied were recovered as viable cells. The dependence of bacterial electrophoretic mobility on the pH, salt concentration, and viscosity of the electrolyte was determined. Suspending media and running electrolyte were developed which allowed collection of samples of>99% purity within two minutes of introduction of a mixture of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Most bacterial strains migrated in a single band, although some migrated in more than one band. Escherichia coli was resolved from each of 10 different species. The considerable variation in mobility found in 21 different E. coli strains, however, appears to preclude use of FFE as a method of species identification.     

The influence of dietary lipid composition on liver mitochondria from mice following 1 month of calorie restriction

To investigate the role mitochondrial membrane lipids play in the actions of CR (calorie restriction), C57BL/6 mice were assigned to four groups (control and three 40% CR groups) and the CR groups were fed diets containing soya bean oil (also in the control diet), fish oil or lard. The fatty acid composition of the major mitochondrial phospholipid classes, proton leak and H₂O₂ production were measured in liver mitochondria following 1 month of CR. The results indicate that mitochondrial phospholipid fatty acids reflect the PUFA (polyunsaturated fatty acid) profile of the dietary lipid sources. CR significantly decreased the capacity of ROS (reactive oxygen species) production by Complex III but did not markedly alter proton leak and ETC (electron transport chain) enzyme activities. Within the CR regimens, the CR-fish group had decreased ROS production by both Complexes I and III, and increased proton leak when compared with the other CR groups. The CR-lard group showed the lowest proton leak compared with the other CR groups. The ETC enzyme activity measurements in the CR regimens showed that Complex I activity was decreased in both the CR-fish and CR-lard groups. Moreover, the CR-fish group also had lower Complex II activity compared with the other CR groups. These results indicate that dietary lipid composition does influence liver mitochondrial phospholipid composition, ROS production, proton leak and ETC enzyme activities in CR animals.     

Three new Arizona types isolated from normal reptiles

Summary Three new Arizona serotypes (5∶29∶30; 16∶22∶34; and 20∶29∶25) are described. All were isolated from the feces of apparently normal snakes in a zoo. The 16∶22∶34 type produced indol and the 20∶29∶25 type failed to liquefy gelatin. Otherwise, the cultures possessed biochemical characteristics typical of the Arizona group. The details of the serologic reactions of the cultures are described.     

Deaths from abuse of volatile substances: a national epidemiological study.

A survey of the United Kingdom detected 282 deaths from abuse of volatile substances during 1971-83. Deaths appeared to have increased in the most recent years, reaching 80 in 1983. Age at death ranged from 11 to 76 years but most deaths (72%) occurred under 20 years. Ninety five per cent of the subjects were male, and in 1983 deaths from volatile substance abuse accounted for 2% of all deaths in males aged 10-19. All areas of the United Kingdom were affected, the rates being highest in Scotland and urban areas. All social classes were affected, though rates were highest in social class V and the armed forces. The volatile substances abused were gas fuels (24%), mainly butane; aerosol sprays (17%); solvents in glues (27%); and other volatile substances, such as cleaning agents (31%). In 51% of cases death was attributed to the direct toxic effects of the substance abused, in 21% to plastic bag asphyxia, in 18% to inhalation of stomach contents, and in 11% to trauma. Deaths associated with the abuse of glues were more likely to be traumatic, but all substances appeared capable of killing directly by their toxic effects, probably by a cardiac mechanism. Only a small proportion of deaths (6%) were due to the abuse of glues among children under 16; hence current attempts to limit access of children to glues will probably have little impact on overall mortality.