Experimental immunization with Pseudomonas aeruginosa alginate induces IgA and IgG antibody responses.

We tried experimentally to induce a specific antibody response against Pseudomonas aeruginosa locally in the airways and systemically in rats by three different routes of immunization; intragastric feeding, intratracheal inoculation or subcutaneous vaccination. Three groups of rats were immunized with live mucoid P. aeruginosa PAO 579 by intragastric feeding or with killed PAO 579 intratracheally or subcutaneously. Three other groups were immunized with purified P. aeruginosa alginate either by intragastric feeding, intratracheally or subcutaneously. At weekly intervals for four weeks animals were sacrificed and serum and bronchial fluid were obtained. The specific IgA and IgG antibody response in lavage fluid and serum was measured. Only traces of antibodies could be detected in the bronchial lavage fluids. Anti-alginate IgA and IgG antibodies developed in all rats immunized with alginate but no antibodies against other P. aeruginosa antigens were detected. The highest IgA and IgG titer against alginate was induced by the subcutaneous immunization. IgA and IgG antibodies against other P. aeruginosa antigens developed in rats immunized with liver and sonicated bacteria. The highest IgA and IgG titers were obtained after intratracheal and subcutaneous immunization with sonicated bacteria. The present work has shown that IgA and IgG antibodies develop with high specificity after immunization. The different titers obtained do not necessarily reflect different degrees of protection.     

Separated fraternal twins: Resemblance for cognitive abilities

Thirty-four pairs of Swedish fraternal twins separated in the first 10 years of life were administered 12 tests of cognitive abilities. The average age of the twins was 59 years. Nineteen pairs were separeted before the first year of life and 26 pairs (76%) were separated by the age of 5 years. Moderate positive twin correlations were found for all tests, reaching significance for Raven's Progressive Matrices and Word Beginnings and Endings. A twin correlation of 0.52 emerged for the first principal component (a measure of general ability). Moderate correlations were found for Spatial Ability and for Verbal Ability/Perceptual Speed factors; for the Memory factor the correlation was lower. The effect of early environment on cognitive ability was assessed by analyzing the association between a degree of separation index and twin resemblance. The importance of the separation measures taken individually was also examined. Some significant effects were found, but these were consistently in a counterintuitive direction: Twins separated earlier weremore similar than those separated later.This research was supported in part by National Institute on Aging Grant AG-01592.     

Feline coronavirus serotypes 1 and 2: seroprevalence and association with disease in Switzerland

To determine the prevalence of antibodies to feline coronavirus (FCoV) serotypes 1 and 2 in Switzerland and their association with different disease manifestations, a serological study based on immunofluorescence tests was conducted with Swiss field cats using transmissible gastroenteritis virus (TGEV), FCoV type 1 and FCoV type 2 as antigens. A total of 639 serum samples collected in the context of different studies from naturally infected cats were tested. The current study revealed that, with an apparent prevalence of 83%, FCoV serotype 1 is the most prevalent serotype in Switzerland. FCoV type 1 viruses induced higher antibody titers than FCoV type 2, and were more frequently associated with clinical signs and/or feline infectious peritonitis. The antibody development in seven cats experimentally infected with FCoV type 1 revealed that, with progressing duration of infection, antibodies to FCoV type 1 significantly increased over those to FCoV type 2. There was a significant relationship between antibody titers against TGEV, FCoV 1, and FCoV 2 and TGEV antigen detected the highest proportion of seropositive cats. We conclude that a vaccine against FCoV should be based on FCoV type 1-related antigens and that for serodiagnosis of FCoV infection TGEV should be used to attain the highest diagnostic efficiency. When serology is used in addition to clinical signs, hematology, and clinical chemistry results as an aid to diagnose clinical FIP, TGEV shows a diagnostic efficiency equal to that of a FCoV antigen.     

Glucose Ingestion Attenuates Interleukin-6 Release from Contracting Skeletal Muscle in Humans

To examine whether glucose ingestion during exercise affects the release of interleukin-6 (IL-6) from the contracting limb, seven men performed 120 min of semi-recumbent cycling on two occasions while ingesting either 250 ml of a 6.4 % carbohydrate (GLU trial) or sweet placebo (CON trial) beverage at the onset of, and at 15 min intervals throughout, exercise. Muscle biopsies obtained before and immediately after exercise were analysed for glycogen and IL-6 mRNA expression. Blood samples were simultaneously obtained from a brachial artery and a femoral vein prior to and during exercise and leg blood flow was measured by thermodilution in the femoral vein. Net leg IL-6 release, and net leg glucose and free fatty acid (FFA) uptake, were calculated from these measurements. The arterial IL-6 concentration was lower (   P < 0.05  ) after 120 min of exercise in GLU, but neither intramuscular glycogen nor IL-6 mRNA were different when comparing GLU with CON. However, net leg IL-6 release was attenuated (   P < 0.05  ) in GLU compared with CON. This corresponded with an enhanced (   P < 0.05  ) glucose uptake and a reduced (   P < 0.05  ) FFA uptake in GLU. These results demonstrate that glucose ingestion during exercise attenuates leg IL-6 release but does not decrease intramuscular expression of IL-6 mRNA.     

Numerical Simulation and Experimental Validation of Blood Flow in Arteries with Structured-Tree Outflow Conditions

Blood flow in the large systemic arteries is modeled using one-dimensional equations derived from the axisymmetric Navier–Stokes equations for flow in compliant and tapering vessels. The arterial tree is truncated after the first few generations of large arteries with the remaining small arteries and arterioles providing outflow boundary conditions for the large arteries. By modeling the small arteries and arterioles as a structured tree, a semi-analytical approach based on a linearized version of the governing equations can be used to derive an expression for the root impedance of the structured tree in the frequency domain. In the time domain, this provides the proper outflow boundary condition. The structured tree is a binary asymmetric tree in which the radii of the daughter vessels are scaled linearly with the radius of the parent vessel. Blood flow and pressure in the large vessels are computed as functions of time and axial distance within each of the arteries. Comparison between the simulations and magnetic resonance measurements in the ascending aorta and nine peripheral locations in one individual shows excellent agreement between the two. © 2000 Biomedical Engineering Society. PAC00: 8719Uv     

Pseudodicentric chromosome 18 diagnosed by chromosome painting and primed in situ labelling (PRINS).

We report on a newborn white male infant with marked dysmorphic features and various congenital malformations. The initial clinical evaluation showed Crouzon-like features as well as some features of trisomy 18 syndrome and trisomy 13 syndrome. The results from conventional cytogenetic analysis showed a structurally abnormal chromosome replacing one normal chromosome 18, but only by applying molecular cytogenetic methods could the architecture of this abnormal chromosome be characterised clearly. The primed in situ labelling (PRINS) technique, using a newly synthesised alpha 18 oligonucleotide, showed the dicentric pattern and direct chromosome painting established the origin to be from chromosome 18. The combination of conventional cytogenetics and molecular cytogenetics showed the karyotype in the proband to be 45,XY,-14,-18,-21,+t(14;21),+psu dic(18) (qter-->cen-->p11.3: :p11.3-->psu cen-->qter). This was supported by molecular analysis using chromosome 18 specific DNA markers, which showed the paternal origin of the abnormal chromosome.     

Thrombocytopenia in a retrovirally-induced murine erythroleukemia.

A variant strain of Rauscher leukemia virus (RLV-A) obtained from a transplantable murine monomyelocytic leukemia causes a disease characterized by frank anemia, wasting, hepatosplenomegaly and erythroblastosis. The involvement of platelets in this disease are reported here. The RLV-A induced a severe thrombocytopenia (25 percent of control level) at the terminal stage of disease. This thrombocytopenia was not associated with disseminated intravascular coagulopathy since the prothrombin times were always within normal limits. The partial thromboplastin time was elevated in the terminal stages of disease and was found to be associated with factor deficiencies, possibly owing to the presence of anti-factor antibodies, in the intrinsic coagulation pathway, especially factor VIII. Further, splenectomy did not abolish the thrombocytopenia, since splenectomized, virally infected animals also developed severe thrombocytopenia (29 percent of control levels). The ensuing splenomegaly during progression of disease was not the cause of the thrombocytopenia. A physiological response to the severe thrombocytopenia was the production of larger size platelets. At terminal stages of the disease, platelet volume increased to 4.2 mu 3 (normal is 3.0 mu 3). An increase in platelet volume was also observed in splenectomized, virally infected animals. Electron microscopy indicated that these circulating platelets contained c-type viral particles. Viral infection was associated with decreased life span of circulating platelets, as measured by 75Se-methionine at mid and terminal stages of the disease. Our results suggest that direct viral infection of platelets and/or megakaryocytes with subsequent cell lysis is a possible cause of the observed thrombocytopenia observed in RLVA-induced disease and may also occur in other retrovirally-induced diseases.     

X-linked resistance of mice to high doses of herpes simplex virus type 2 correlates with early interferon production.

Mice inoculated intraperitoneally with herpes simplex virus type 2 develop focal necrotizing hepatitis and eventually die from ascending myelitis and encephalitis. The genetics of resistance to the infection were analyzed in crosses between resistant C57BL/10 mice and susceptible BALB/c mice. It was shown that the resistance of C57BL/10 mice to hepatitis induction was influenced by an X-linked dominant gene as previously shown for the GR mouse strain. The course of infection in the liver pointed to early, natural defense mechanisms as being responsible for the difference between the mouse strains, whereas the clearance of virus from the liver, probably mediated by specific immunity, was exerted at the same time and with equal efficiency for all groups of mice. In mortality experiments, resistance was shown to be an autointerference phenomenon in that a considerable number of C57BL/10 mice survived an intraperitoneal injection of 10(6) PFU, whereas all mice were killed by 10(5) PFU. This resistance of C57BL/10 mice to high doses of HSV-2 was retrieved in all groups of F1 mice in crosses between C57BL/10 and BALB/c mice except the (BALB/c female X C57 male) male group, in which the mice receive the X chromosome from the susceptible BALB/c female. Thus, the autointerference phenomenon also seems to be influenced by loci on the X chromosome. A similar pattern of inheritance was observed when early interferon induction (4 to 5 h after infection) in response to HSV-2 was measured. The possible relevance of this early interferon response in conjunction with other potential natural defense mechanisms is discussed.     

Experimental transmission of Bartonella henselae by the cat flea.

Bartonella henselae is an emerging bacterial pathogen, causing cat scratch disease and bacillary angiomatosis. Cats bacteremic with B. henselae constitute a large reservoir from which humans become infected. Prevention of human infection depends on elucidation of the natural history and means of feline infection. We studied 47 cattery cats in a private home for 12 months to determine the longitudinal prevalence of B. henselae bacteremia, the prevalence of B. henselae in the fleas infesting these cats, and whether B. henselae is transmitted experimentally to cats via fleas. Vector-mediated transmission of B.henselae isolates was evaluated by removing fleas from the naturally bacteremic, flea-infested cattery cats and transferring these fleas to specific-pathogen-free (SPF) kittens housed in a controlled, arthropod-free University Animal Facility. B. henselae bacteremia was detected in 89% of the 47 naturally infected cattery cats. A total of 132 fleas were removed from cats whose blood was simultaneously cultured during different seasons and were tested individually for the presence of B. henselae DNA by PCR. B. henselae DNA was detected in 34% of 132 fleas, with seasonal variation, but without an association between the presence or the level of bacteremia in the corresponding cat. Cat fleas removed from bacteremic cattery cats transmitted B. henselae to five SPF kittens in two separate experiments; however, control SPF kittens housed with highly bacteremic kittens in the absence of fleas did not become infected. These data demonstrate that the cat flea readily transmits B. henselae to cats. Control of feline infestation with this arthropod vector may provide an important strategy for the prevention of infection of both humans and cats.