The susceptibility of Mycobacterium tuberculosis to isoniazid and the Arg-->Leu mutation at codon 463 of katG are not associated

A mutation (CCG-->CTG [Arg-->Leu]) in codon 463 of katG (catalase peroxidase) of Mycobacterium tuberculosis has been found in isoniazid (INH)-resistant strains. A PCR restriction endonuclease analysis to detect this mutation was applied to 395 M. tuberculosis isolates from patients in The Netherlands. The proportion of isolates with a detectable mutation was 32% (32 out of 100) and 29% (85 out of 295) among INH-susceptible isolates and INH-resistant or -intermediate isolates, respectively. Sequencing of five INH-susceptible isolates with such mutations showed that all five had the Arg463Leu mutation. We conclude that the Arg463Leu mutation of katG of M. tuberculosis is not a reliable indicator of INH resistance.     

Haplotypes produced from rare variants in the promoter and coding regions of angiotensinogen contribute to variation in angiotensinogen levels

The most efficient study design to map genes underlying complex traits will be determined by assumptions about whether the genetic effects are likely to be due to relatively few common variants or multiple rare variants. To examine the possibility that rare variants may influence blood pressure, we sequenced a 6.8 kb region of the angiotensinogen (AGT) gene in 29 male Nigerians with high plasma AGT levels and 28 with low levels. The frequency of haplotypes produced from rare variants in the promoter and coding regions was significantly different between the two groups, and it is unlikely that this difference was due to the manner in which the rare variants were selected. Further analysis suggested that most of the haplotypes produced by these rare variants are found on a haplotype background created by three common SNPs. Our study confirms in an additional trait that rare variants can influence the distribution of complex traits; whether these variants can be captured by common SNPs or haplotypes requires further investigation.     

Comparison of complement fixation and hemagglutination inhibition assays for detecting antibody responses following influenza virus vaccination

Complement fixation (CF) was compared to hemagglutination inhibition (HI) as a method for identifying antibody responses to influenza virus vaccination. CF assays were performed at two different laboratories using paired (pre- and postvaccination) sera from 38 vaccinated laboratory employees; HI assays were performed at a third laboratory. As expected, most vaccinees (31/38 = 82%) responded to at least one of three influenza virus antigens as measured by HI. In contrast, only 21% (8/38) of vaccinees showed a response by CF at laboratory 1, and only 29% (11/38) showed a response by CF at laboratory 2. These findings indicate that due to low sensitivity, CF assays should not be used to assess the antibody response to influenza virus vaccination.     

Stereoselectivity of L-baclofen in hippocampal slices of the rat

Extra- and intracellular recording from hippocampal slices of the rat revealed the following effects when baclofen (BF) (0.1-10 microM) was added to the perfusion fluid: a block of synaptic potentials evoked by stimulation of stratum radiatum; a direct hyperpolarization and a conductance increase (for potassium ions) of CA1 pyramidal cells. All this activity was found in the L- none in the D-enantiomer. D-BF did not antagonize the action of L-BF.     

Comparison of the direct radiolabeled antiglobulin assay and the direct immunobead binding test for detection of sperm-associated antibodies

Thirty-seven semen samples were assayed for sperm-associated IgG and IgA using the immunobead test. Portions of these sperm samples were sent for testing with a direct radiolabeled antiglobulin assay and the testing results were compared. If the results of the immunobead test when only tail-tip bead binding was noted are regarded as negative, there was close correlation between the two assay methodologies.     

Myocardial disease and catecholamine metabolism in JCR:LA-corpulent rat

The JCR:LA-cp rat is a strain carrying the mutant cp (corpulent) gene. Animals that are homozygous cp are hyperphagous, hyperinsulinemic, hyperlipidemic, and obese. Corpulent male rats, but not females or lean rats, develop atherosclerotic lesions and myocardial lesions. Since the myocardial lesions are apparently of ischemic origin, the noradrenergic system and vascular hyperactivity and vasospasm may play a role in the pathogenesis. To test this we have studied the brain contents of the amines norepinephrine, dopamine, and 5-hydroxtryptamine and their breakdown products and depleted the peripheral sympathetic terminals with 6-hydroxydopamine. Only 5-hydroxytryptamine and 5 hydroxyindole-3-acetic acid were present at higher concentrations in the corpulent rats with depressed levels of dopamine in very young or old lean rats. The activity of monoamine oxidase may provide an indication of nonadrenergic activity in tissue. The activity in the heart increased with age and was higher in the corpulent rats than in the lean at all ages. Activity in aorta was independent of age or genotype. Long term treatment with 6-hydroxydopamine caused marked depletion of norepinephrine in the heart with only a slight decrease in brain concentration. There were no effects on the hyperlipidemia or hyperinsulinemia that are strongly associated with vascular and myocardial disease. The myocardial lesion frequency in corpulent rats was not altered by the chemical sympathectomy. The results suggest that norepinephrine and the sympathetic nervous system are probably not involved in the generation of the myocardial lesions or metabolic abnormalities in this strain of rat.