Factors affecting the toxicity of rotting carcasses containing Clostridium botulinum type E

Mice killed shortly after receiving c. 2000 spores of a type E strain of Clostridium botulinum per os were incubated at one of five chosen temperatures together with bottles of cooked meat medium seeded with a similar inoculum. After incubation the rotting carcasses were homogenized. Sterile membrane filtrates of the homogenates (10%, w/v) and pure cultures were then titrated for toxicity. Some of the main findings were confirmed with two further type E strains. Toxicity produced at 37 degrees C was poor in both carcasses and cultures (200-20,000 mouse intraperitoneal LD/g or ml). It was good in both systems at 30 and 23 degrees C, usually reaching 20,000-200,000 LD/g or ml, and in carcasses occasionally more; at 30 degrees C maximal toxicity was reached more quickly in carcasses than in cultures. Prolonged incubation (36-118 days) at 30 or 23 degrees C resulted in complete loss of toxicity in virtually all carcasses but not in cultures. At 16 degrees C the development of toxicity in carcasses was strikingly greater than in cultures. At 9 degrees C neither system produced more than slight toxicity after prolonged incubation. Trypsinization increased the toxicity of cultures but not usually of carcasses. Unfiltered carcass homogenate (10%, w/v) with maximal intraperitoneal toxicity was harmless for mice by mouth in doses of 0.25 ml. These findings differed in important respects from those made earlier with a type C strain.     

Herpes zoster: a consideration in the differential diagnosis of radiculopathy

Herpes zoster probably occurs more often than generally thought. Since it produces a radicular distribution of pain, it should be included in the differential diagnosis of radiculopathy. A case is presented in which evaluating the radicular low back pain before the characteristic rash appears was misleading. Careful history-taking concerning the exact nature of the pain and sensory changes is needed to differentiate between zoster and radiculopathy, if no rash is evident.     

The neutrophil oxidative burst in diarrhoea – associated haemolytic uraemic syndrome

. Neutrophil-mediated tissue damage has been implicated in the pathogenesis of diarrhoea-associated haemolytic uraemic syndrome (D+ HUS). This study evaluates priming and activation of the neutrophil oxidative burst in D+ HUS using chemiluminescent techniques. Peripheral blood neutrophils from 11 children with acute D+ HUS were examined. No difference was found in the oxidative burst of neutrophils from patients and controls. Serum elastase levels were measured in 8 patients and found to be significantly elevated. Although elastase results suggest neutrophil activation, chemiluminescence studies do not confirm this in the peripheral blood neutrophil. This does not support a significant role for circulating agents in priming and activating the peripheral blood neutrophil. Received August 17, 1995; received in revised form and accepted November 27, 1995     

Segregation analysis of leprosy in families of northern Thailand

Sixty-three families with multiple instances of leprosy were identified through a major leprosy treatment center in northern Thailand. Complex segregation analyses for single major genes or polygenic inheritance were performed using the maximum-likelihood routine POINTER to determine the most likely etiologic model of genetic susceptibility. Liability differences between men and women were considered in these models. When individuals were considered to be affected because they had any form of leprosy, a generalized major gene model with nearly dominant parameters on the liability scale, but additive penetrances, was found to be the most likely. When only those individuals who had tuberculoid forms of leprosy were considered to be affected, a recessive model was found to be the most likely; however, the discrimination between various models was poor. Further analyses are necessary to delineate genetic mechanisms to explain these apparently divergent results. In particular, methods of testing two locus models should be considered.     

Oligoclonal populations of T and B cells in a case of angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma predominantly infiltrated by T cells of the VB5.1 family.

AIMS: Immunohistological and molecular characterisation of a case of peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) of angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AILD) type. METHODS: Frozen and paraffin wax sections of the diagnostic lymph node were stained with a panel of T- and B-cell lineage monoclonal antibodies. DNA was isolated from the paraffin wax embedded biopsy material for T-cell receptor (TCR) and immunoglobulin (Ig) PCR amplification, and resultant PCR products were cloned and sequenced. RESULTS: Immunohistological analysis of the presenting lymph node was consistent with an extensive infiltrate of pleomorphic CD3+CD8+ lymphocytes. Most (>80%) of these infiltrating CD3+ cells were also positive for the TCR VB5.1 gene family product, and were shown to be oligoclonal by TCRB PCR amplification and sequencing. Three oligoclones of B cells were also demonstrable by PCR amplification with Ig heavy chain primers and sequencing, a finding at variance with the diagnosis of AILD. CONCLUSIONS: These data demonstrate the complexity and heterogeneity of PTCL which require extensive histological examination and molecular characterisation.     

Two Novel Pyrrolopyrimidine Lipid Peroxidation Inhibitors U-101033E and U-104067F Protect Facial Motor Neurons Following Neonatal Axotomy

Recent reports suggest that oxygen radical-induced lipid peroxidation plays a role in the retrograde degeneration of motor neurons following facial nerve axotomy in the neonatal rat. The purpose of the present study was to explore this notion further by testing the neuroprotective properties of two novel brain-penetrating, lipid peroxidation inhibitors, U-101033E and U-104067F, in this model of neuronal degeneration. In Experiment 1, 14-day-old rats were pretreated with 3, 10, or 30 mg/kg U-101033E (po) 10 min before right facial nerve axotomy (Day 0) and then posttreated once a day from Day 1 to Day 6, and once every other day from Day 8 to Day 21. Rats were sacrificed 21 days postaxotomy and surviving cholinergic cell bodies were identified using choline acetyltransferase immunocytochemistry. Both 10 and 30 mg/kg U-101033E significantly enhanced motor neuron survival, with survival rates of 65.9–88.9% being noted in comparison to 51.7–62% survival in vehicle controls (P ≤ 0.05). Experiment 2 demonstrated a significant neuroprotective effect of 10 and 30 mg/kg U-104067F using the same dosing schedule. Experiment 3 was designed to test whether shorter periods of drug exposure (e.g., 5 or 7 days) would be sufficient to preserve motor neurons in rats treated with 10 mg/kg U-101033E. The results suggested that as little as 5 days of drug treatment is sufficient to enhance motor neuron survival. Finally, Experiment 4 demonstrated an 18–19% increase in motor neuron survival in rats treated with 10 and 30 mg/kg U-104067F for 5 consecutive days postaxotomy. Taken together, the attenuation of motor neuron degeneration by the two pyrrolopyrimidine lipid peroxidation inhibitors, U-101033E and U-104067F, lends support to the notion that lipid peroxidation contributes to the pathogenesis of axotomy-induced neurodegeneration.     

Porphyrin dimers as photosensitizers in photodynamic therapy

Porphyrin dimers 9 with either linkages and possible isomers bis[1-[6,7-bis[2-(methoxycarbonyl)ethyl]-1,3,5,8-tetramethyl-2- vinylporphin-4-yl]ethyl] ether (10) bis[1-[6,7-bis[2-(methoxycarbonyl)ethyl]-1,3,5,8-tetramethyl-4- vinylporphin-2-yl]ethyl] ether (11), and 1-[6,7-bis[2-(methoxycarbonyl)ethyl]-1,3,5,8-tetramethyl-2-vinylporph in- 4-yl]ethyl 1-[6,7-bis[2-(methoxycarbonyl)ethyl]-1,3,5,8-tetramethyl-4-vinylporph in- 2-yl]ethyl ether (12) were synthesized from the corresponding (1-hydroxyethyl)vinyldeuteroporphyrin IX dimethyl esters (Hvd). The pure Hvd isomers 2-(1-hydroxyethyl)-4-vinyldeuteroporphyrin IX dimethyl ester (7) and 4-(1-hydroxyethyl)-2-vinyldeuteroporphyrin IX dimethyl ester (8) were obtained from 2-acetyl-4-(1-hydroxyethyl) deuteroporphyrin IX dimethyl ester (3) and 4-acetyl-2-(1-hydroxyethyl)deuteroporphyrin IX dimethyl ester (4). Porphyrins 3 and 4 were prepared either by partial reduction of 2,4-diacetyldeuteroporphyrin IX dimethyl ester (2) or by oxidation of hematoporphyrin IX dimethyl ester (1) by using tetra-n-propylammonium perruthenate (Prn4N)(RuO4) with N-methylmorpholine N-oxide as an oxidizing agent. The in vivo photosensitizing ability and therapeutic ratios of dimers 9-12 were compared with that of Photofrin II in the SMT-F tumor growing subcutaneously in DBA/2 Ha mice. These dimers were found to have better tumoricidal activity than Photofrin II with reduced skin phototoxicity.     

The effect of etching on bacterial microleakage of an adhesive composite restoration.

OBJECTIVES: The incidence of bacterial microleakage, pulp inflammation and necrosis associated with dentine etching treatments prior to restoration are not known. Consequently, to resolve some of the controversy surrounding the effects and importance of vital dentine etching, the authors investigated these factors. METHODS: 110 standardised class V cavities were cut into buccal dentine, without exposing the pulp of teeth scheduled for extraction for orthodontic reasons. Cavities were either left unetched, or etched with the non-equivalent treatments of phosphoric acid gel for 60s or Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) for 30s, prior to placement of composite resin. Teeth were collected and pulp responses were evaluated according to ISO guidelines, using pathohistomorphometric analysis and ANOVA statistics. RESULTS: Etching was found to be correlated to bacterial microleakage (p=0.0001) and tertiary dentine formation (p=0.0023). Bacterial microleakage was correlated to inflammatory activity (p=0.0001). The frequency of bacterial microleakage was: no etching (65%), EDTA (51%) and phosphoric acid (PA) (20%). SIGNIFICANCE: Vital dentine etching treatment is of extreme importance for the placement of RC to minimise bacterial microleakage. PA etching proved to be more effective at preventing bacterial microleakage than non-etching, and etching with EDTA.     

Rapid change in height and body proportions of Maya American children

Maya families from Guatemala migrated to the United States in record numbers from the late 1970s to the early 1990s. Births to Maya immigrant women have created a sizable number of Maya American children. The height and sitting height of 5 to 12 years children (n = 431) were measured in 1999 and 2000. Leg length was estimated and the sitting height ratio was calculated. These data were compared with a sample of Maya children living in Guatemala measured in 1998 (n = 1,347). Maya American children are currently 11.54 cm taller and 6.83 cm longer‐legged, on average, than Maya children living in Guatemala. Consequently, the Maya Americans have a significantly lower average sitting height ratio (i.e., relatively longer legs in proportion to length of the head and trunk) than do the Maya in Guatemala. These results add support to the hypothesis that both the height and body proportions of human populations are sensitive indicators of the quality of the environment for growth. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 14:753–761, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.