Toxic properties of the Mycoplasma arthritidis ISR-1 membrane

Isolated membranes of Mycoplasma arthritidis ISR-1 possess toxic properties for rats, mice and chicken embryos. Reactions are dose-dependent. By intravenous injection of 20 mg of membrane protein, a lethal toxicity syndrome resembling shock is induced in Sprague-Dawley rats of 100 g body weight. Mice of approximately 20-g body weight show the same syndrome by intravenous injection of 15 mg of membrane protein. The lethal toxicity for chicken embryos increases from 10 to 80% after injection of 0.3 to 1.5 mg of membrane protein. The LD50 in chicken embryos was found to be 0.5 mg membrane protein. After administration of 10-15 mg of membrane protein, rats showed an increase in temperature from 38 to 41 degrees C within 5 h. Because of the difficulty in measuring the temperature in mice, loss of body weight was taken as the criterion for toxicity. Body weight was reduced up to 16% within 1 day after intravenous injection of 500 micrograms of membrane protein per g of body weight. For sheep red blood cells, M. arthritidis ISR-1 membranes were haemolytic in concentrations of 4 mg of membrane protein and higher. Intradermal injection of 1 mg of membrane protein into guinea-pigs resulted in red swelling reactions measuring approximately 10 mm in diameter 10 h after injection. For foetal rat skin fibroblasts, M. arthritidis ISR-1 membranes were toxic in concentrations from 1 micrograms (3H-uridine incorporation), 10 micrograms (14C-leucine incorporation) and 100 micrograms (3H-thymidine incorporation) of membrane protein.

Formation of extracellular alpha-amylase by Bacillus subtilis in relation to guanosine polyphosphates

The kinetics of growth, extracellular alpha-amylase formation and pool sizes of guanosine polyphosphates (p)ppGpp and adenosine phosphates (ATP and AMP) were determined during discontinuous cultivation of Bacillus subtilis 44. The results indicate a positive involvement of (p)ppGpp in the regulation of the expression of the alpha-amylase gene.

[Microbiological degradation of glucosinolates in defatted rapeseed meal]

During the degradation of thioglucosides in defatted rape seed meal (RES) microorganisms were found, whose ability to degrade glucosinolates (GSL) and vinyl thio-oxazolidone (VTO) was not known so far. The isolated microorganisms are two strains of bacteria of the species Bacillus cereus and the yeast Trichosporon cutaneum. The degradation of GSL and VTO in the cultural broths by the Bacillus cereus strains was the more complete the more other Gram-negative bacteria from RES were additionally present. Drinking tests with Wistar rats showed that here is a relation between the watersoluble and mainly bitter toxin substances of rape and their influence on the increase of the animals body weight.

[Comparative experimental animal studies of the effects of various nuclear pharmaceuticals on the EEG]

Some of the radiopharmaceuticals presently recommended for cisternoscintigraphy were compared, in experiments on animals, for their effects upon bioelectric activity. On relaxed cats, electroencephalography did not show any effects upon bioelectric activity for 198 Au and 169 Yb Ca DTPA. One test animal each of seven and six cats examined using 169 Yb DTPA and 131 J HSA showed changes in the electroencephalogram subsequent to suboccipital application.

[Screening newborn infants for phenylketonuria, histadinemia, homocystinuria and maple syrup disease. Results from north rhein-westphalia (1974-1976) (author's transl]

In North Rhein-Westphalia, 181 patients with phenylketonuria and 81 children with persistent phenylalaninemia were found from 1966-1973 during the phenylketonuria screening by the National Hygienic and Bacteriological Investigation Officials and the work of the Agency for tracing psychic disorders of metabolic origin. Continuation of the screenings and the work of the agency revealed 44 subjects with classical phenylketonuria and 27 with persistent phenylalaninemia between 1974 and 1976.

[Biological modelling of potassium metabolism]

1. General principles of the modelling of compartments were described with the aim to use this methodology for the investigation of the potassium metabolism. 2. For the modelling of the potassium metabolism the necessary processes of investigation and calculations in the analysis of 42-potassium-kinetics were described in detail at an example. 3. By analogy references to the haemodynamics the general significance of the modelling of compartments was explained.

On the formation of rho- petites in yeast. II. Effects of mutation tsm-8 on mitochondrial functions and rho-factor stability in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

1. In non-fermentable substrates growth of mutant tsm-8 cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae is restricted to about one generation after shift from 23 to 35 degrees C. Non-permissive conditions (35 degrees C, glycerol) cause a gradual decrease in respiration to about 20% of the activity at permissive temperature 23 degrees C). 2. Anaerobically grown and glucose-repressed mutant cells exhibit a decreased adaptation rate of mitochondrial functions to aerobic growth and non-fermentative growth, even at 23 degrees C, as revealed by determination of respiratory rates and mitochondrial protein synthesis. 3. At 35 degrees C, rho+ cells of mutant tsm-8 are converted to p- cells within 6-8 generations of growth, in all fermentable substrates tested. Drugs or antibiotics as nalidixic acid, acriflavin, chloramphenicol and erythromycin, bongkrecic acid, antimycin and FCCP, as well as anaerobiosis, have little or no influence on this kinetics. A heat shock does not yield rho- petites to a significant extent. 4. Reversion of tsm-8 cells to wild type function, which occurs spontaneously with a frequency of 10(-8), is found to be due to a mitochondrial mutational event.

[Methods and quality of information from myocardial scintigrams in the diagnosis of myocardial infarct]

There is an increasing importance of scintigraphy for the assessment of microcirculation in the myocardium. In animal experiments advantages and disadvantages of negative and positive representation of ischemic myocardiac areas were tried, after experimental infarction in particular. The results by computer scintigraphy prove that positive representation reveals an information on site and extent of an infarction.

[Bronchial antigen provocation tests with the use of whole body plethysmography]

Bronchial provocation tests are performed in order to reproduce the symptoms of extrinsic bronchial asthma. The bronchial obstruction induced hereby can be demonstrated by plethysmographic measurement of specific airway resistance, which is superior to spirometric parameters with regard to sensitivity and effort independence. A rise of specific airway resistance above 20 cmH2O X sec ("dyspnoea threshhold") can be used as the criterium of a positive result. In contrast to forced expiratory manoeuvres no spirometry induced asthma can occur. Automatic evaluation by electronic data processing is possible.

[Quantitative determination of blood loss by means of 51 Cr-labeled erythrocytes in occult hemorrhages of the gastrointestinal tract]

By means of 51 Cr-labelled erythrocytes the stools of 17 patients were examined for occult admixtures of blood. Hereby a method well suited for routine work was developed, the manipulations with stool were reduced to a minimum measure. As measuring device an animal total body counter was used. The average excretion of blood in persons without diseases of the gastro-intestinal tract was 0.49+/- 0.38 ml/d. In three patients a haemorrhage could be proved. The quantitative determination of blood losses through the intestine is diagnostically valuable. It is useful particularly in unclear iron deficiency anaemis. A combination of the method with the determination of the survival time of erythrocytes is possible.