Metabolism of sulfur-containing amino acids in the dermatophyte Microsporum gypseum. I. Neutral amino acids

The dermatophyte Microsporum gypseum was cultivated on a glucose-arginine medium to which on out of six sulfur-containing amino acids was added (L-cystine, L-djenkolic acid, DL-lanthionine DL-homocystine, L-methionine, or L-methionine-sulfone at a concentration of 5 mM with respect to sulfur content). The addition of these substances did not stimulate the growth and some amino acids (djenkolic acid and particularly methionine and methionine-sulfone) were inhibitory. All tested compounds were utilized during the growth not only as sulfur source but as a source of carbon and nitrogen as well. In four substrates excess sulfur was excreted after oxidation into the medium in the form of sulfate. Small amounts of sulfite were also observed. It usually reacted with remaining disulfides in the medium forming S-sulfo compounds (R-S.SO3H). Cystine and djenkolic acid were oxidized rapidly and completely. In contrast, lanthionine and particularly homocystine were oxidized slowly and only after a longer adaptation. To some extent lanthionine was already oxidized extracellularly in the medium. With methionine and its sulfone, excess sulfur was not removed by oxidation but by demethiolation to methane thiol and further volatile products.     

Chronic traumatic tricuspid insufficiency

Isolated tricuspid insufficiency (TI) is relatively uncommon and mostly of traumatic origin. We report clinical noninvasive and invasive findings and surgical results in 5 cases. All patients had complete clinical, noninvasive and invasive studies including right and left catheterization, and coronary angiographies in 3 patients. All but 1 patient had nonpenetrating trauma. All had large jugular V waves, right precordial impulse, systolic liver pulse, positive Carvallo sign documented also by noninvasive techniques. Right heart failure was present in 3 patients. Chest x-ray showed prominent right atrium and distended vena cavae. Electrocardiogram showed normal sinus rhythm in 4 patients and atrial fibrillation in 1. Two patients had right bundle-branch block, and 2 presented RSR'-pattern. Echocardiogram showed large right atrium (RA) (6-10 cm), floppy tricuspid valve (TV) in all, dilated right ventricle (RV) in 2 patients. Findings of left heart were normal in all. Three patients had right-to-left shunt. In RA A waves were 4-8, Y waves 1-3, and V waves 12-22 mmHg, respectively (mean RV and PA pressures were 23/3 and 23/10 mmHg, respectively). Four patients had anuloplasty, 2 of them repair of valve and chordae. Surgical results were good in 2 patients with valve repair, satisfactory in 1; there was significant TI resistance in 1 case. We conclude that TI has distinctive clinical findings and must be ruled out in all patients with chest trauma. Surgery must include not only anuloplasty, but, cusps and chordae must also be evaluated and reconstructed if necessary.     

Biotin in human milk: methods, location, and chemical form.

For infants, no Recommended Dietary Allowance for biotin has been published; the estimated safe and adequate intake seems to be based on measurements of human milk. However, published estimates of the biotin content disagree substantially. We sought to address several of the potential sources of disagreement by defining the conditions for the collection, storage, and subcompartment distribution of biotin in human milk using the [125I]avidin assay. Composition of the collection vessel (glass vs. common plastics) had no effect on biotin content of human milk. The biotin content of milk did not change during storage at room temperature for at least 1 wk, at 5 degrees C for at least 1 mo, or at -20 degrees C or -70 degrees C for at least 1.5 y. Biotin in the cell pellet and fat fraction accounted for less than 5% of that in the skim fraction. Of the biotin in the skim fraction, none (less than 3%) was reversibly bound to macromolecules, and less than 5% was covalently bound to macromolecules. We conclude that assay of free biotin will detect almost all of the biotin present in a sample of mature human milk.     

Über das Vorkommen von Spirillen im Gewebe entzündlich veränderter Tonsillen unter Berücksichtigung des bakterioskopischen Bildes der Mundhöhlenschleimhaut

Zusammenfassung Bei 155 Patienten mit entzündlich veränderten Tonsillen wurde ein Oberflächenabdruck mittels Styroflex-Folie von Gingiva und Tonsillen angefertigt. In 55 Fällen wurde der Tonsillenabdruck in situ und in 100 Fällen an der herausgenommenen Tonsille ausgeführt. Es wurden auf Grund der bakterioskopischen Befunde 115 Spirillenträger festgestellt, die überwiegende Mehrzahl wies ein reines Spirillenbild auf. Unter diesen Spirillenträgern waren bei 60 Patienten die Spirillen im Tonsillengewebe nachzuweisen. Nur in 5 Tonsillen waren sie in Reinkultur vorhanden, in allen übrigen Organen von anaerober Mischflora begleitet. Aus den verschiedenen Orten ihrer Lagerung im Gewebe und aus der Anwesenheit oder Abwesenheit anderer Anaerobier wird die Frage der pathogenen Bedeutung der Spirillen erörtert.