Effects of 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid on Rhizobium sp. in pure culture

The effects of 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid on the growth rate, chemical composition, ¹⁴C-2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and ⁴⁵Ca²⁺ uptake by Rhizobium sp. M 4 able to nodulate Arachis hypogaea were determined. Cellular growth was diminished by the presence of 10^?3 M 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid in the medium. Alterations in cellular chemical composition, in ¹⁴C-2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and in ⁴⁵Ca²⁺ uptake were found.     

Hydrochlorothiazide-amiloride causes excessive urinary zinc excretion

Serum zinc levels and urinary zinc excretion were compared in 15 patients with essential hypertension taking chronically a combination of hydrochlorothiazide and amiloride as monotherapy, eight patients maintained with hydrochlorothiazide alone, and eight control subjects. Serum zinc values were statistically comparable in all three groups. However, urinary zinc excretion was abnormally elevated in the two patient groups. In the dosage used, amiloride did not have a zinc-sparing effect.     

The effect of washing with chlorhexidine soap on wound infection rate in general surgery. A controlled clinical study

Postoperative wound infections in clean surgery were studied to compare the effect of preoperative whole body disinfection with chlorhexidine soap with that of local washing and no washing at all, respectively. The study includes 1530 operations for biliary tract disease, inguinal hernia and breast cancer. The overall infection rate was 3.4%. Among patient who had a preoperative shower with Chlorhexidine the wound infection rate was significantly reduced.     

Behavioral and biochemical evidence for a long-lasting decrease in GABAergic function elicited by chronic administration of FG 7142

Chronic treatment with the beta-carboline derivative FG 7142 (15 mg/kg i.p. twice a day for 10 consecutive days) produced a long-lasting enhancement of shock-induced suppression of drinking in rats, without affecting unpunished behaviour. This proconflict effect was observed up to 15 days after withdrawal from FG 7142. A significant sensitization to seizures induced by isoniazid, a drug known to inhibit GABAergic transmission, was also found to occur after long-term (25 days) withdrawal. Moreover, the density of low-affinity GABA receptors was decreased by 30% in the cerebral cortex of rats repeatedly injected with FG 7142 at 5 and 15 days after withdrawal. The capacity of high-affinity GABA receptors, as well as the apparent dissociation constants for both high- and low-affinity GABA receptors were unchanged. Similar modifications in [3H]GABA binding were also observed in the cerebellum. The enhancement of punishment suppressed behaviour, the sensitization to isoniazid-induced convulsions and the decrease in the density of low-affinity GABA receptors suggest that chronic administration of FG 7142 induces a persistent down-regulation of GABAergic transmission in the central nervous system.     

Inhaled allergen-driven CD1c up-regulation and enhanced antigen uptake by activated human respiratory-tract dendritic cells in atopic asthma

Background Dendritic cells (DC) mediate inflammation in rodent models of allergic airway disease, but the role played by human respiratory‐tract DC (hRTDC) in atopic asthma remains poorly defined. Recent data suggest that CD1 antigen presentation by hRTDC may contribute to asthma pathogenesis. Objective To investigate the influence of hRTDC on the balance between atopy and allergic asthma in human subjects and to determine whether CD1 expression by hRTDC is modulated during asthmatic inflammation. Methods Sputum cells were induced from steroid‐naïve, allergen‐challenged and allergen‐naïve subjects (atopic asthmatics, atopic non‐asthmatics and non‐atopic controls). hRTDC were identified using monoclonal antibody labelling and analysis by flow cytometry. Results hRTDC stained HLA‐DR⁺ (negative for markers of other cell lineages) were predominantly myeloid and comprised ∼0.5% of viable sputum cells. Sputum cells were potent stimulators of allogeneic CD4⁺ naïve T cells and enrichment/depletion experiments correlated stimulatory potency with DC numbers. Sputum contained cells that exhibited typical dendritic morphology when analysed by electron microscopy. Myeloid hRTDC were endocytically active, but uptake of FITC‐dextran was enhanced in cells from asthmatics (P<0.001). Despite their increased endocytic capacity, asthmatic myeloid hRTDC appeared mature and expressed increased levels of maturation markers (P<0.05–P<0.001), CD1c, CD1d and langerin (P<0.05). CD1c expression by asthmatic myeloid hRTDC was enhanced upon in vivo allergen challenge (three to ninefold within 24 h; P<0.05). CD11c⁻CD123^high hRTDC were only detected in asthmatic sputum and were increased in number following allergen challenge. Conclusion Despite limited cell numbers, it proved possible to analyse human RTDC in induced sputum, providing evidence that increased antigen uptake and enhanced CD1 presentation by activated hRTDC may contribute to allergic airway disease. CD1 presentation by hRTDC in atopic asthma may therefore constitute a novel target for future intervention strategies.