Strongyloidiasis in Canadian Far East war veterans

A survey was done of Canadians who had been interned by the Japanese during World War II to assess the prevalence of latent infection with Strongyloides stercoralis in this group. Packages containing three mail-in kits and a questionnaire were sent to 992 men, 694 (70%) of whom responded. Larvae were found in the stool specimens of four of the respondents. Examination of stool specimens after formalin-ether concentration was the most successful method of detecting Strongyloides larvae. The Baermann concentration technique yielded negative results in all four men. Three of the four cases of strongyloidiasis were detected after sampling of three fecal specimens. In the fourth case additional specimens were requested on the basis of data derived from the questionnaire. The most frequently cited clinical manifestations were abdominal pain, weight loss, diarrhea and rashes.     

Semipermeable polymer tubes provide a microenvironment for in vivo analysis of dorsal root regeneration

The regeneration of lesioned axons is critically influenced by the local microenvironment. In this study, semipermeable polymer tubes were used to provide a defined microenvironment in vivo to analyze the regeneration of dorsal root axons under various conditions in the adult rat. Cut dorsal root fibers grew across a 2.7 mm gap within enclosed polymer tubes by 4 weeks. The pattern of axonal outgrowth was dramatically influenced by mechanical factors such as the inner surface topography of the polymer tube. Tubes containing various molecular and cellular substrates were also used to study their effect on dorsal root regeneration.     

Effect of dose schedule of vitamin E and hydroxethylruticide on intestinal toxicity induced by adriamycin

CDF1 mice receiving Adriamycin, 12 mg/kg IP develop a toxic GI mucositis. The mean survival in CDF1 mice after Adriamycin injection was found to be 6.5 +/- 2.0 weeks and could be increased by alcohol or acetate Vitamin E pretreatment (with 2 g/kg qDx7d) to 22.06 +/- 12.3 weeks or by treatment with Venoruton after Adriamycin (qDx7 with 1.5 g/kg) to 23.7 +/- 12.7 weeks. Other schedules were ineffective or harmful. The ability of Venoruton to enhance survival when given after Adriamycin encouraged us to proceed to tumor bearing mice. The maximum survival with CDF1 mice bearing 5 X 10(6) L1210 cells was 1 +/- 0.2 week which could be increased to 2.17 +/- 0.8 weeks with optimal dose Adriamycin (10 mg/kg). Optimum survival with Venoruton and a single dose of Adriamycin was 2.45 +/- 0.91 weeks with Venoruton, 1.5 g, qd X 14, and 12 mg/kg Adriamycin. Treatment of L1210 bearing mice with Adriamycin, 10 mg/kg on days 1 and 8, yielded a survival of 2.23 +/- 0.7 weeks. An equitoxic regimen of Adriamycin, 11 mg/kg on days 1 and 9, plus Venoruton, 1.5 g, qd X 14, increased survival 30% to 3.08 +/- 2.9 weeks. Venoruton is a promising agent to increase the therapeutic index of Adriamycin.     

Crystalline inclusions in Bacillus thuringiensis

Crystalline inclusion bodies resembling those seen in Clostridium cochlearium were detected in cultures of Bacillus thuringiensis infected with bacteriophage.     

Relation of Catalase to Substrate Utilization by Mycoplasma pneumoniae

No catalase activity was detected in four strains of glucose-grown Mycoplasma pneumoniae at any time during the replication of the organism. Exogenous catalase dramatically increased the O(2) uptake with glycerol, presumably by releasing inhibition caused by hydrogen peroxide. The effect of added catalase on the O(2) uptake of washed organisms with glucose as substrate was moderate and variable in degree. The production of hydrogen peroxide was demonstrated by the quantitative enzymatic assay for inorganic peroxide and by the fact that added pyruvate, which is non-enzymatically oxidized by H(2)O(2) to acetic acid and CO(2) could mimic the action of catalase.