Improved In Vitro Excystation Procedure for Giardia lamblia Cysts

Giardia lamblia cysts obtained from human symptomatic and asymptomatic donors were excysted in vitro. Excystation averaged 87% for cysts from symptomatic donors and 70% for cysts from asymptomatic donors.     

Improved immunoglobulin production in dialysis patients treated with recombinant erythropoietin.

Improvements in B lymphocyte function have been reported in hemodialysis patients receiving erythropoietin. The present investigation studied whether erythropoietin interferes with B cell function and the mechanisms of this effect. Antibody production by cultured peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) (7 days) from 15 dialysis patients before and during erythropoietin treatment and from 14 healthy controls was followed. IgG and IgA were formed less in the uremic group than in healthy subjects. After 8 weeks of erythropoietin (hematocrit rose from 19 to 31%) basal IgG formation by PBMC rose from 304 +/- 83 to 566 +/- 49 ng/ml (p less than 0.02), while IgA production rose from 380 +/- 121 to 563 +/- 362 ng/ml (p less than 0.01). IgM production, which appeared to be normal in uremia, remained unchanged during erythropoietin treatment. Production of IgG and IgA stimulated by pokeweed-mitogen was subnormal in uremia, but improved under erythropoietin therapy. To establish whether erythropoietin acted by itself or through correction of the renal anemia, healthy PBMC were directly incubated with 2 U/ml of erythropoietin. Under these conditions production of IgG (+19%), IgA (+28%), and IgM (+32%) was enhanced. Taken together these data indicate a direct stimulant effect of erythropoietin on B lymphocytes in end-stage renal failure.     

Evidence of clonality in chronic neutrophilic leukaemia

BACKGROUND: Chronic neutrophilic leukaemia (CNL) is a rare myeloproliferative disorder of elderly patients characterised by sustained neutrophilia and splenomegaly. The diagnosis of CNL requires the exclusion of BCR/ABL positive chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML) and of leukaemoid reactions (LRs). The differentiation between CNL and LR is problematic because both conditions share similar morphological features; it is also important because patients with CNL generally have a poor prognosis. AIMS: To determine whether CNL and LR could be distinguished on the basis of different clonality patterns. METHODS: Blood samples from 52 women were studied using the human androgen receptor gene assay (HUMARA). RESULTS: Monoclonality was found in the neutrophils in all 17 patients with different myeloproliferative syndromes (MPSs), including those with CNL. In four of the patients with CNL, autologous T cells were also monoclonal, suggesting that they belonged to the neoplastic clone. This finding was in contrast to other MPSs in which T cells were almost always polyclonal. Of nine patients with clinically suspected LR, the neutrophils of five were polyclonal, whereas three patients had monoclonal neutrophils, suggesting that they might be in the process of developing an MPS. Among 26 healthy blood donors, 20 had polyclonal neutrophils and five showed skewed clonality patterns. One case of LR and one normal blood donor were scored "not informative" at the HUMARA locus. CONCLUSIONS: Clonality studies of blood neutrophils using HUMARA aid in distinguishing female patients with monoclonal CNL from those with LR. For the diagnosis of CNL, monoclonality of the neutrophils should be demonstrated whenever possible.     

Equalization of asymmetries of tonus in the optomotor system of rabbits

Summary Turning a rabbit on a turn-table for a few degrees induces compensatory eye-movements and results in an asymmetry of tonus in the optomotor system. If the visual input is discontinued (darkness), this asymmetry decays and the eyes drift back to the mid-position within 12–18 sec. The equalization of such asymmetries of tonus under normal conditions and under curare is described. Tonus asymmetries induced by tilting the animals about the longitudinal axis are neither compensated under visual, nor under non-visual, conditions. Recordings were taken from oculomotor neurons, and changes of their firing frequencies were used as a measure for eye movements.A preliminary report was given at the spring meeting of the German Physiological Society 1973.Supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, SFB 33.     

Influence of disodium ethane-1-hydroxy-1,1-diphosphonate on vitamin D metabolism in rats

Summary The metabolism and the organ distribution of double labelled vitamin D₃ (1,2-³H-4-¹⁴C-cholecalciferol) has been studied in rats in which the bone mineralization and the intestinal calcium absorption have been inhibited by a large pose (10 mg P/kg s.c. for 7–14 days) of disodium ethane-1-hydroxy-1,1-diphosphonate (EHDP). The most striking difference found was a reduced accumulation of radioactive cholecalciferol and its metabolites in the kidney of EHDP-treated rats. It is unlikely that this effect was due to an unspecific alteration of the functional renal tissue since blood urea, glomerular filtration rate and renal plasm a flow remained unaltered by this dose of EHDP. The EHDP-treated rats were able to form the metabolite eluted with peak IV of the silicic acid chromatographic system, that is 25-hydroxycholecalciferol. In these vitamin D repleted rats fed a high calcium diet, the tritium deficient metabolite eluted with peak V (1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol) was only found in the intestinal mucosa of both control and EHDP groups three days after the injection of radioactive cholecalciferol, and this in a very small amount. Therefore no definitive conclusion can be drawn as to a possible interference of EHDP treatment on the production of 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol. The change in the renal metabolism of vitamin D in rats treated with a rachitogenic dose of EHDP may be caused by the modifications of the calcium metabolism brought about by the diphosphonate. Its relation, if any, with the decreased calcium absorption remains to be established.     

Differentiation of Giardia duodenalis from other Giardia spp. by using polymerase chain reaction and gene probes.

Giardia spp. are waterborne organisms that are the most commonly identified pathogenic intestinal protozoans in the United States. Current detection techniques for Giardia species in water include microscopy and immunofluorescence techniques. Species of the genus Giardia are classified on the basis of taxonomic criteria, such as cell morphology, and on host specificity. We have developed a polymerase chain reaction- and gene probe-based detection system specific for Giardia spp., which can discriminate between the relevant species of the G. duodenalis type pathogenic to humans and other Giardia species that are not human pathogens. This method can detect a single Giardia cyst and is therefore sensitive enough for environmental monitoring.     

Über zwei neue Fälle von hereditärer nichtsphärocytärer hämolytischer Anämie bei Glucose-6-Phosphat-Dehydrogenase-Defekt in einer norddeutschen Familie

Zusammenfassung Bei zwei Geschwistern norddeutscher Abstammung findet sich das Krankheitsbild einer hereditären nichtsphärocytären hämolytischen Anämie, dem ein Defekt der Glucose-6-Phosphatdehydrogenase der Erythrocyten zugrundeliegt. Das Protein weist von der Norm abweichende qualitative Eigenschaften auf. Die histochemisch belegbare Heterozygotie der Mutter für die anomale genetische Information wird bei biochemischer Untersuchung der Gesamtpopulation der Erythrocyten durch den relativ hohen Anteil der normalen Erythrocyten überdeckt. Das klinische Bild des einen der beiden Geschwister ist durch ein zusätzliches kongenitales Vitium cordis (Vorhofseptumdefekt vom Ostium secundum-Typ) kompliziert.

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Summary Two brothers of a family in North-Germany have a hereditary non spherocytic hemolytic anemia with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency in erythrocytes. The activity of the enzyme was 20% resp. 10% of that found in normal red cells. In the patients the enzyme protein were showing not only a quantitative difference from normal activity, but also a qualitative abnormality of the protein. In the parents the behaviour of the enzyme protein is normal. The total enzyme level of the mother's red cells is in the normal range, but histochemically the heterozygosity (ie146-1) were found. One of the patients were splenectomized without response. In the other patient a congenital heart disease (ostium secundum defect) is associated with the anemia.

     

Änderungen der Herzdynamik durch arterielle Gegenpulsation

Zusammenfassung Bei nicht exakt erfolgender diastolischer arterieller Gegenpulsation kommt es nicht allein zu dem erwünschten Absinken des herzeigenen systolischen Druckes sowie des Spannungszeitindexes. Zusätzlich werden Anteile der Systole durch den Druckvolumenstoß miterfaßt. Die resultierenden Druckänderungen vor allem des LV konnten in drei Abschnitte gegliedert werden.I. Trifft der absteigende Anteil des Gegenimpulses auf das Ende der isometrischen Phase bzw. den Beginn der Austreibungsperiode des linken Ventrikels, so wird der enddiastolische Aortendruck erhöht, die Aortenklappen öffnen sich verspätet, der LV-Druck liegt bei unverändertem LVEDD höher als beim Kontrollschlag, ohne daß immer eine Minderung des Schlagvolumens eintritt. Dieser anscheinende Widerspruch zu den Frank-Starlingschen Gesetzen konnte in der vorliegenden Untersuchungsanordnung nicht eindeutig geklärt werden, weil das normale systolische Durchflußvolumen mit der aufgezwungenen Volumenänderung interferiert und dadurch ein zu hohes Schlagvolumen vorgetäuscht werden kann.II. Fällt der Druckvolumenstoß zeitlich mit dem Maximum der ventrikulären Druckentwicklung zusammen, so nimmt nach den Frank-Starlingschen Gesetzen das Schlagvolumen bei vermehrter ventrikulärer Druckentwicklung ab.III. Erfaßt der Beginn des Gegenimpulses das Ende der ventrikulären Austreibungsphase, so resultiert eine zusätzliche isometrische Kontraktion, die sich der Form des Gegenimpulses angleicht. Die Aortenklappen schließen vorzeitig, und die Austreibungsphase wird verkürzt.Mit 5 TextabbildungenMit Unterstützung der Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft.     

Physiology and the theory of medicine

Pflügers Archiv - European Journal of Physiology -