Cross protection in mice and swine immunized with live erysipelas vaccine to challenge exposure with strains of Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae of various serotypes

Mice and swine immunized subcutaneously with live vaccine prepared from acriflavine-fast attenuated Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae, strain Koganei (serotype 2), were challenge exposed to virulent strains of E rhusiopathiae of various serotypes. Vaccinated mice did not die after challenge exposure to serotypes 1a, 1b, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 15, 16, 18, 19, 21, or N, but 20% to 30% mortality occurred in vaccinated mice challenge exposed to serotypes 10, 14, 20, or 22. Nonvaccinated control mice died after challenge exposure to all serotypes tested. Vaccinated swine challenge exposed to strain 14B (serotype 9) or strain 2179 (serotype 10) developed localized urticarial lesions at the site of intradermal exposure. Vaccinated swine challenge exposed to serotypes 1a, 1b, 2, 5, 8, 11, 12, 18, 19, or 21 did not have clinical signs of acute erysipelas. Nonvaccinated control swine developed acute generalized erysipelas or localized lesions at the site of intradermal exposure.     

Methemoglobin formation and reduction in canine erythrocytes with inherited high Na,K-ATPase activity

Methemoglobin formation and reduction in canine erythrocytes with inherited high Na,K-ATPase activity (HK cells) were compared with those in normal canine cells (LK cells). Nitrite-induced methemoglobin formation in hemoglobin solutions indicated that the hemoglobin from HK cells was oxidized at essentially the same rate as that of LK cells. However, methemoglobin formation in HK cells was slower due to the inhibition by high glutathione (GSH) concentration. Methemoglobin reduction was allowed to take place on nitrite-treated and washed erythrocytes in a glucose medium and was reduced more rapidly in HK cells than in LK cells. During the reduction, the amounts of lactate and pyruvate increased more rapidly in HK cells, indicating enhanced glycolysis in HK cells. It is thus evident that the hemoglobin of HK cells is more securely protected from nitrite-induced oxidation by the GSH presence in great excess and by the increase in glycolysis.     

Immunohistochemical findings of juxtaglomerular cells on acute phase in two-kidney Goldblatt hypertensive rats and spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Juxtaglomerular (JG) cells on the acute phase in two-kidney Goldblatt hypertensive (2KGH) rats and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) were examined immunohistochemically. JG cells in 2KGH rats and SHR were positively stained with anti-renin serum and anti-angiotensin II (A II) serum. In 2KGH rats, the number of renin and AII immunoreactive JG cells in the clipped kidneys increased throughout the observation period. The number of renin and AII immunoreactive JG cells in the unclipped kidneys was almost the same as that in control rats, although immunoreactivity of these cells was weak and they were small in size. These changes in the unclipped kidneys became obvious with the time course after operation. We did not see any changes in these cells in SHR. In 2KGH rats treated with captopril, the number of renin immunoreactive JG cells in the clipped kidneys increased, whereas that of AII immunoreactive JG cells in the bilateral kidney decreased. When captopril was administered to SHR, the number of renin immunoreactive JG cells in the bilateral kidney increased, whereas that of AII immunoreactive JG cells in the bilateral kidney decreased. These results suggested that the JG cell in the bilateral kidney was closely related to the development of hypertension in 2KGH rats, but not in SHR. The increase of renin immunoreactive JG cells in 2KGH rats and SHR treated with captopril was probably due to the removal of negative feedback inhibition of AII on JG cells.     

The influence of environmental temperature,thyroid status and a synthetic oestrogen on the induction of fatty livers in chicks

1. Hepatic lipid content, lipogenic enzyme activity and plasma lipid concentration were measured in chicks reared at 21° or 34 °C and after thyroxine (T4), thiouracil (TU), propylthiouracil (PTU), dienoestrol diace‐tate (DD) or PTU with DD had been given for 14 d.

2. At 34 °C there was a significant increase in the total liver lipid and triglyceride content.

3. Injections of T4 decreased liver lipid content whereas it was increased by feeding PTU or DD. The effects of PTU were more pronounced at 21 °C while those of DD were more pronounced at 34 °C.

4. There were significant interactions between temperature, thyroid status and synthetic oestrogen treatments on total lipid and triglyceride content of the liver. Fatty liver with marked steatosis could be produced through synergic actions of PTU and DD in chicks maintained at 21 °C.     

Nodulation during vegetative growth of soybean stage does not affect the susceptibility to red crown rot caused by Calonectria ilicicola

Soybean cultivar Enrei and its derivative lines, non-nodulating En1282 and supernodulating Sakukei 4, were grown in an experiment field naturally infested with the red crown rot fungus, Calonectria ilicicola, to determine whether nodulation elicits the disease. Infection frequency by the fungus invariably increased with time and reached about 100% 6 weeks after sowing. Disease severity was invariably slight until 8 weeks after sowing. At harvest, however, disease severity was lowest in En1282 and highest in Sakukei 4. Enrei was intermediately susceptible. Sakukei 4 produced many more nodules than Enrei, while En1282 completely failed to nodulate. For three other pairs of nodulating and non-nodulating isogenic lines, all non-nodulating lines had lower severity than their nodulating counterparts at harvest. Pot experiments with Enrei and its derivatives revealed that inoculation with Bradyrhizobium sp. did not affect disease severity during the vegetative stage of plant growth, i.e., 6 weeks after sowing. These results suggested that the production of nodules in the vegetative stage is not, at least directly, related to susceptibility to the disease, but physiologic changes after anthesis vary depending on the nodulation traits in the respective soybean lines, resulting in different levels of susceptibility to red crown rot.