Mycoplasma hominis as an agent of diseases of the respiratory tract

The respiratory organs of newborn rats infected intranasally with a broth culture ofMycoplasma hominis were studied by histological, histochemical, and immunofluorescence methods. Tracheitis and, suppurative and interstitial pneumonia with a hemorrhagic component were observed 24 h after infection and lasted until the 7th day of the experiment. During the same period, specific fluorescence ofM. hominis antigen was detected by the immunofluorescence method. The morphological picture found demonstrates the pathogenicity ofM. hominis for the respiratory tract of newborn rats.Institute of Human Morphology, Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR. N. F. Gamaleya Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR, Moscow. (Presented by Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR A. P. Avtsyn.) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 84, No. 9, pp. 372–375, September, 1977.     

Inhibitory action of neuraminidase ofVibrio cholerae in Rauscher mouse leukemia

The inhibitory action of the neuraminidase ofVibrio cholerae in Rauscher mouse leukemia was studied. After treatment of the spleen cells of leukemic mice with neuraminidase in doses of 50 units/ml or more, the ability of these cells to induce leukemia when injected into BALB/c mice was inhibited significantly. Neraminidase in the above concentration, if given by repeated parenteral injection, had no therapeutic action in Rauscher leukemia.D. I. Ivanovskii Institute of Virology, Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR. Scientific-Research Laboratory of Experimental Immunobiology, Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR, Moscow. (Presented by Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR N. N. Zhukov-Verezhnikov.) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 82, No. 11, pp. 1357–1359, November, 1976.     

Investigation of chloramphenicol acetyltransferase formation byEscherichia coli K-12 cells after changes in intracellular cyclic AMP concentration

The effect of cylic AMP, ACTH, and glucose on formation of the enzyme chloramphenicol acetyltransferase by cells ofEscherichia coli CSH-2/R222 andE. coli WZ-78/R222 (cya₈₅₅) was investigated. Glucose was shown to reduce synthesis of the enzyme inE. coli CSH-2/R222 by inducing catabolite repression; this could be overcome by 5 mM cyclic AMP and 1000 g/ml ACTH. Synthesis of the enzyme inE. coli WZ-78/R222 was resistant to catabolite repression and ACTH did not stimulate the synthesis of chloramphenicol acetyltransferase by this strain.Researh Laboratory of Experimental Immunobiology, Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR, Moscow. (Presented by Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR N. N. Zhukov-Verezhnikov.) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 81, No. 3, pp. 294–295, March, 1976.     

Cyclic AMP formation during phagocytosis

The content of cyclic adenosine-3, 5-monophosphate (AMP) in phagocytic macrophages was shown to be increased especially during phagocytosis of the living microbes. The cyclic AMP formed during phagocytosis could be detected in the incubation medium, but in the cells it remained at almost the same level. The cyclic AMP concentration in cells of the intestinal mucosa and in the blood serum of germfree guinea pigs also was increased after injection ofEscherichia coli 055 cells; this points to the participation of the adenylate cyclase system in interaction between microorganisms and the epithelium of the small intestine.Research Laboratory of Experimental Biological Models, Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR. Institute of Biological and Medical Chemistry, Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR, Moscow. (Presented by Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR, V. N. Orekhovich.) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 82, No. 8, pp. 953–956, August, 1976.     

Dimethylaminochalcone,an indicator of structural changes in theE. coli cell membrane produced by Ca++ cations and tris buffer

An attempt was made to find hypothetical structural changes in the cell membrane ofEscherichia coli under the influence of Ca⁺⁺ cations with the aid of the uncharged fluorescent proble 4-dimethylaminochalcone (DMC). Effects of Tris buffer (0.01 M) at 0°C and of other agents, namely Mg⁺⁺ cations and EDTA, also were tested for comparison. Treatment of theE. coli cells with Ca⁺⁺ cations was shown to cause structural changes in the surface of the cell membrane which differed from the changes produced by treatment with Tris buffer at 0°C, Mg⁺⁺ cations, and EDTA. DMC can be used with success as an indicator of structural changes in biomembranes.Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology, N. F. Gamaleya Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR, Moscow. (Presented by Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR V. M. Zhdanov.) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 88, No. 7, pp 65–68, July, 1979.     

Electron-microscopic study of interaction between cytolytic T lymphocytes and target cells

Thymocytes stimulatedin vitro in mixed culture were adsorbed by centrifugation on to the surface of target cells for an electron-microscopic study of the cytology of immune T lymphocytes and of the early stages of cytolysis. A well-developed Golgi apparatus and clusters of tubular structures 50–60 nm in diameter, communicating with the cisternae of the granular endoplasmic reticulum, with emptied vesicles, and with the plasma membrane of the lymphocyte, were found in the cytoplasm of the lymphocytes. Over a wide area the plasma membrane formed numerous contacts with the membrane of the target cells, so that closed slit-like spaces were formed. With these data and also modern views regarding interconversion of membranes and intracellular transport in mind, a hypothetical scheme for the mechanism of cytolysis of the target cell by the immune T lymphocyte is suggested.Oncologic Scientific Center, Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR, Moscow. N. F. Gamaleya Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR, Moscow. (Presented by Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR O. V. Baroyan.) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 84, No. 10, pp. 443–447, October, 1977.     

Mechanism of action of aspirin on platelet function

Inhibition of platelet aggregation and of the reaction of liberation of platelet factor 3 under the influence of aspirin was shown to be due to the action of the drug not only on the platelets, but also on plasma cofactors: In experimentsin vitro the blood plasma of rats receiving aspirin reduced the aggregating power of the platelets of intact animals; blood plasma of intact rats increased the aggregating power and accessibility of factor 3 of the platelets of animals receiving aspirin.Department of Radiation Pathological Physiology, Scientific-Research Institute of Medical Radiology, Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR, Obninsk. (Presented by Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR N. A. Fedorov.) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 83, No. 4, pp. 434–435, April, 1977.     

Some kinetic features of membrane-bound monoamine oxidase

Initial reaction-velocity versus substrate-concentration curves for serotonin oxidation catalyzed by monoamine oxidase (MAO) from fragments of rat liver or bovine brain mitochondrial membranes have a complex, nonhyperbolic shape; this is regarded as a kinetic manifestation of substrate cooperativeness for membrane-bound MAO. The possibility of interaction between different types of MAO based on conformational changes in the membrane itself is discussed.Scientific-Research Institute for Biological Trials of Chemical Compounds, Ministry of the Medical Industry of the USSR. Institute of Biological Medical Chemistry, Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR. All-Union Vitamin Scientific-Research Institute, Ministry of the Medical Industry of the USSR, Moscow. (Presented by Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR V. N. Orekhovich.) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 83, No. 3, pp. 288–289, March, 1977.     

Transformation ofBacillus subtilis in mice after immunological suppression of exogenous deoxyribonuclease 1 activity

Transformation ofBacillus subtilis was carried out intraperitoneally in mice. The frequency of transformation was considerably reduced by intraperitoneal injection of bovine deoxyribonuclease 1 (DNase 1) into the animals in a dose of 3–5 g. Immune rabbit -globulins, containing antibodies against bovine DNase 1, inhibit the activity of DNase 1 in vivo, thus protecting the transforming DNA against the hydrolytic action of that enzyme. The model suggested can be used to search for ways of preserving a nucleic acid introduced into an animal for the purposes of genetic engineering.Research Laboratory of Experimental Immunobiology, Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR, Moscow. Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 84, No. 7, pp. 68–70, July, 1977.     

Electron-cytochemical and morphometric investigation of enzyme activity in thyrocyte mitochondria during carcinogenesis

Activity of cytochrome oxidase and succinate dehydrogenase in the mitochondria of thyroid gland cells of rats was studied by electron-histochemical and morphometric methods during experimental carcinogenesis. The activity of these enzymes in the mitochondria was shown to vary depending on the stage of malignant transformation: In the early stages it was close to normal, but later (precancer) it fell sharply and approached the level observed in the mitochondria of cancer cells. A marked decrease in the activity of the enzymes studied in the morphologically altered mitochondria of cancer cells may be a qualitative characteristic of these cells.Electron Microscopy Room, N. K. Kol'tsov Institute of Developmental Biology, Academy of Sciences of the USSR. Laboratory of Electron Microscopy, Institute of Poliomyelitis and Virus Encephalitis, Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR, Moscow. (Presented by Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR A. P. Avtsyn.) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 83, No. 4, pp. 452–455, April, 1977.     

Cytopathogenic action ofEscherichia coli cells containing heterologous human type O(H) antigen on human cells in culture

The character of interaction between two enteropathogenic strains ofEscherichia coli of serotype 055K59 with human HeLa cells containing O(H) isoantigen was studied. On the addition of strainE. coli No. 5789, containing heterologous type O(H) antigen to a culture of HeLa cells, a cytopathogenic action was discovered on the third day of interaction in the presence of doses of bacterial cells of 2·10¹⁰, 2·10⁵, and 2·10⁴. A dose of 2·10³ bacterial cells ofE. coli did not give this effect. Strain No. 3827, not containing heterologous antigen of ABO type, had no cytopathogenic action in maximal, average, and small doses of bacterial cells. It is suggested that the cytopathogenic action of strain No. 5789 is connected with the presence of an antigen in this strain which is identical with the group antigen of the human cell culture studied.Research Laboratory of Experimental Immunobiology, Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR, Moscow. (Presented by Academician of the Academy of medical Sciences of the USSR N. N. Zhukov-Verezhnikov.) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 84, No. 7, pp. 70–72, July, 1977.     

Localization of common (cross-reacting) antigens with tissues of the human bronchopulmonary apparatus in cells ofNeisseria perflava andKlebsiella pneumoniae

The localization of common antigens with tissues of the human bronchopulmonary apparatus was studied in cells ofNeisseria perflava andKlebsiella pneumoniae. Cross reactions of several structures ofN. perflava andK. pneumoniae cells (capsule, cell walls, fractions of cytoplasmic structures, hyaloplasm) were studied in the complement fixation test (CFT) with antilung sera. Antigens cross-reacting with antilung sera were found not only in surface structures (cell walls) of the bacterial cells but also in deep components (cytoplasmic fraction rich in RNP) of the microorganism.Allergologic Research Laboratory, Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR, Moscow. Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 81, No. 3, pp. 349–350, March, 1976.     

Investigation of the effect of certain chlorinated hydrocarbons on the composition of the hepatocyte population of the rat liver

Hepatocytes in the liver of albino rats poisoned by inhalation of dichloropropane and trichloropropane were investigated cytophotometrically and karyometrically. With respect to the effect on polyploidization of the hepatocyte nuclei trichloropropane was found to be more toxic than dichloropropane. The development of polyploidization is determined by the dose of the toxic agent and the exposure to it: The smaller the dose the shorter the time required for the effect to take place.Laboratory of Morphology, A. N. Sysin Institute of General and Communal Hygiene, Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR. Laboratory of Cytology, N. K. Kol'tsov Institute of Developmental Biology, Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Moscow. (Presented by Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR A. M. Chernukh.) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 83, No. 3, pp. 345–348, March, 1977.     

Effect of cultivation temperature on blast transformation of lymphocytes from people of different ages

The effect of the cultivation temperature on blast transformation of lymphocytes from persons aged 20–35 and 90–102 years induced by phytohemagglutinin was studied. Cultivation at 39°C was found to increase, but at 41°C to reduce sharply the index of blast transformation compared with the control (37°C). The effect of cultivation temperature on the blast-transformation process has certain features which depend on the donors' age.Institute of Gerontology, Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR, Kiev. (Presented by Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR D. F. Chebotarev.) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 83, No. 4, pp. 470–472, April, 1977.     

Adjuvant action of fragments of the IgG molecule present in the serum of partially hepatectomized rabbits

Fragments of the IgG molecule, related to Fab, present in the blood serum of partially hepatectomized rabbits, have the property of intensifying the immune response of rabbits through xenogeneic erythrocytes. After simultaneous injection of sheep's erythrocytes and the Fab-like fragment into rabbits there was an increase in the number of antibody-producing cells in the spleen and in the titers of 19S and 7S hemagglutinins.Kursk Medical Institute. N. F. Gamaleya Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR, Moscow. (Presented by Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR G. V. Vygodchikov.) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 81, No. 2, pp. 206–208, February, 1976.     

Effect ofShigella sonnei endotoxin on the cholinergic control of the intestinal circulation

The effect ofShigella sonnei endotoxin on the cholinergic control of the cardiovascular system was studied by an extracorporeal autoperfusion method with resistography of the intestinal vessels and synchronous multichannel recording of the parameters of the systemic circulation in experiments onMacaca rhesus. The development of toxemia was shown to be accompanied by changes in the cholinergic regulation and subsequent disturbance of the intestinal and systemic circulation. It is suggested that damage to cholinergic regulatory structures and disturbance of the circulation determine the development and course of the infectious process.Laboratory of Pathophysiology, Kiev Scientific-Research Institute of Infectious Diseases. (Presented by Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR, N. N. Sirotinin.) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 83, No. 3, pp. 271–272, March, 1977.     

Serum antibodies against heart valve fibroblasts in patients with rheumatic fever

Antibodies reacting in immunofluorescence tests with human and bovine heart valve fibroblasts were isolated from the serum of patients with rheumatic fever by means of an immunosorbent prepared from human heart valve tissues. The antibodies did not react with fibroblasts of the interstitial connective tissue of the myocardium. Fibroblasts of the myocardium and valves are evidently antigenically different, whereas fibroblasts of human and bovine heart valves have common antigens.Laboratory of Streptococcal Infections, N. F. Gamaleya Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR. Institute of Rheumatism, Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR, Moscow. (Presented by Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR O. V. Baroyan.) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 83, No. 3, pp. 315–317 March, 1977.     

Ability of thermo- and acid-stable serum serine protease inhibitor to inhibit mitogen-stimulated transformation of lymphocytes

The ability of a thermostable and acid-stable serine protease inhibitor from rabbit blood serum (TASPI) to inhibit the transformation of human peripheral blood lymphocytes stimulated by phytohemagglutinin (PHA) or concanavalin A (con A) was demonstrated. The degree of inhibition depends on the concentration of the inhibitor and its specific activity. The maximal degree of inhibition was 50–70%. TASPI has no cytotoxicity. Stronger inhibition of transformation is observed if TASPI is added to the culture 24 h after the addition of PHA. Data on the antiprotease activity of human blood serum, either native or inactivated under different conditions, are given. The results suggest that TASPI participates in the control of the biological activity of lymphoid tissue cells.Laboratory of Immunogenetics, Institute of Transplantation of Organs and Tissues, Ministry of Health of the USSR. Laboratory of Biochemistry and Pathochemistry of Vasoactive Polypeptides, Institute of Biological and Medical Chemistry, Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR, Moscow. (Presented by Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR V. N. Orekhovich.) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biology i Meditsiny, Vol. 85, No. 5, pp. 569–572, May, 1978.     

Preparation of paraffin sections for immunofluorescence analysis of antigens differing in their chemical nature

A technique is suggested for preparing paraffin sections from tissues fixed with acetone which can be used for the immunohistochemical detection of antigens which differ in their chemical nature, including -fetoprotein, antigens of mouse leukemia viruses, alcohol-soluble antigens of hepatocyte membranes, and certain phospholipids.Laboratory of Immunochemistry and Diagnosis of Tumors, N. F. Gamaleya Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR. Laboratory of Pathological Anatomy, N. N. Burdenko Institute of Neurosurgery, Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR, Moscow. (Presented by Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR G. V. Vygodchikov.) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 82, No. 8, pp. 1018–1020, August, 1976.     

Effect of chlorpromazine on changes in cortical electrical activity caused byClostridium perfringens type a toxin

Experiments on cats showed that injection of chlorpromazine (3 mg/kg, intramuscularly) 1 h before injection ofClostridium perfringens type A toxin prevents the desynchronization of cortical electrical activity which usually arises in the first phase of poisoning, delays the phase of depression of electrical activity in the second phase, and increases by 50–100% the duration of survival of the animals. The effect of chlorpromazine is evidently connected with blocking of adrenergic structures of the reticular formation of the brain stem.Department of Microbiology and Department of Pathological Physiology, N. I. Pirogov Odessa Medical Institute. (Presented by Academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR A. M. Chernukh.) Translated from Byulleten' Éksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 84, No. 10, pp. 412–416, October, 1977.