Electron immunoperoxidase stainings in sections of unfixed pure cultures of Streptococcus mutans

Unfixed as well as glutaraldehyde-fixed pelleted cells from pure cultures of Streptococcus mutans subspecies sobrinus (B13) were embedded in glycolmethacrylate. Ultrathin were sections immunoperoxidase labelled with rabbit anti-S. mutans sobrinus gamma-globulin. It was found that unfixed specimens became labelled as precisely and as distinctly as did the fixed specimens. All controls were negative.     

An investigation into the origin and nature of 'amyloid' in a calcifying epithelial odontogenic tumour

Fresh and fixed tissue from a resection specimen of a calcifying epithelial odontogenic tumour (CEOT) was prepared for histological, histochemical, immunological and biochemical investigation in order to study the nature of the amyloid-like material. The fixed tissue gave positive reactions with Congo-red, Thioflavin T and the dimethylamino benzene (DMAB)-method for tryptophan. The diazotization-coupling (DC) method for tyrosine was negative. The major protein purified from the unfixed tissue by sequential gel filtration had a molecular weight of 9,800. The amino acid analysis of this protein had similarities with tuft enamel protein, immune amyloid and the variable light chain component (VK). From the data obtained in this study, it is not possible to determine the precise nature of the amyloid-like material in this CEOT. However, the results do support the concept that 'amyloid' should be considered as a term describing a broad group of related proteins.     

Isolation of beta-lactamase-producing Bacteroides strains associated with clinical failures with penicillin treatment of human orofacial infections

Five patients with orofacial infection which failed to respond to penicillin therapy are described. In each instance, β-lactamase producing Bacteroides strains were found. All strains were resistant to penicillin but sensitive to clindamycin and tinidazole. In two cases, extended surgical treatment cured the patient, but in the other three cases additional clindamycin therapy was required.     

The kinetics and mechanisms of reactions of human tooth enamel in buffered solutions of high fluoride concentrations

The experimental results were quantitatively compared with the theory based on a physical model representing the reaction and with the experiments involving synthetic hydroxyapatite discs. The experimental initial rates self-consistently compared well with the theoretical predictions. An analysis of the experimental initial rate data yielded a reaction constant, κ, for the reaction representing apatite dissolution and calcium fluoride precipitation. It is proposed that the value for κ is a result of both supersaturation with respect to calcium fluoride and undersaturation with respect to apatite at the apatite-calcium fluoride reaction sites. This finding is also consistent with the analysis of the experiments with synthetic apatite discs.Important similarities and significant differences were found between the experiments with the enamel sections and with synthetic apatite discs. The experiments with the synthetic apatite discs were reported to proceed “normally” as predicted by the physical model over the entire course of the reaction. In contrast to these findings, while the initial rates of the enamel-fluoride reaction were found to proceed relatively rapidly and according to the theoretical predictions, the rates at later times were drastically reduced. This “choking off” was observed to be most severe in the experiments at low pH and high fluoride concentrations, and little or no “choking oft” was observed at low fluoride concentrations and high pH.