Collagen gels: design for a vitreous replace- ment

Clear, stable gels have been prepared from purified tropocollagen from calf skin; the collagen was solubilized with a proteolytic enzyme (Proctase) and stabilized by ultraviolet irradiation under nitrogen. These gels are clear, possess altered immunologic reactivity, and have properties of an ideal vitreous replacement. Implantations in rabbit and monkey eyes appear to be well tolerated, remain clear, and gradually disappear in about 2 months.     

Carbohydrate histochemistry of bovine duodenal glands.

The complex carbohydrates in the bovine duodenal glands were examined histochemically using 5 peroxidase-labeled lectins to achieve a better knowledge of their glycoprotein profiles. The presence of at least 2 different cell types and secretion of neutral mucin were observed in the bovine duodenal glands. The duodenal gland cells located in the central area of the lobules contained neutral glycoproteins with different saccharide residues as beta-D-gal-(1-3)-D-galNAc, alpha-D-galNAc, beta-(1-4)-D-glcNAc, NeuNAc and D-galNAc. The other cell types located in the peripheral area of the lobules contained alpha-L-Fuc, alpha-D-galNAc, beta-(1-4)-D-glcNAc, NeuNAc and D-galNAc. These findings seemed to be characteristic of a unique digestive process of the ruminant.     

Insecticide susceptibility of surviving Cotesia plutellae (Hym: Braconidae) and Diaeretiella rapae (M'Intosh) (Hym: Aphidiidae) as affected by sublethal insecticide dosages on host insects

The effects of sublethal dosages of insecticides applied to Plutella xylostella L. (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutidae) and Lipaphis erysimi Kaltenbach (Homoptera: Aphidiidae) on the insecticide susceptibility of the surviving endoparasitoids, Cotesia plutellae Kurdjumov (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) and Diaeretiella rapae (M'Intosh) (Hymenoptera: Aphidiidae), were studied in Shangjie, Minhou, China. The susceptibility to methamidophos and the sensitivity of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) to methamidophos and dichlorvos in the adults of host insects were substantially lower than those in the two parasitoids. The host insects were treated with sublethal dosages of methamidophos in P. xylostella and of methamidophos and avermectin in L. erysimi. The cocoon formation in the two parasitoids decreased significantly, from 35.0% (control) to 13.0% (with methamidophos treatment) for C. plutellae; from 20.6% (control) to 9.0% (with methamidophos treatment) and from 24.3% (control) to 16.7% (with avermectin treatment) for D. rapae. The susceptibility to methamidophos of the resultant emerging adults of the two parasitoids was found to be significantly lower than that of the control when the parasitoids were left in contact with the same dosages of methamidophos. The average AChE activity inhibition by methamidophos and dichlorvos in 34-60 adults of the two parasitoids that emerged from the treatments (15.1% and 31.8% respectively for C. plutellae, and 21.1% and 26.9% for D. rapae) was also significantly lower than those of the controls (55.4% and 48.3% respectively for C. plutellae, and 42.9% and 51.7% for D. rapae). The bimolecular rate constant (k(i)) values of AChE to methamidophos and dichlorvos in the adults of parasitoids without the insecticide treatment were 1.78 and 1.56 times as high as those that emerged from the host insects treated with methamidophos for C. plutellae, and 1.91 and 1.66 times as high as those in the case of D. rapae. It is suggested that there is a difference in AChE sensitivity to insecticides between the resultant emerging parasitoids with and without insecticide pretreatment. Furthermore, the introduction of the insecticides to the host insects could be an important factor in the insecticide resistance development of the endoparasitoids. The natural selectivity would favour the parasitoids that had developed an insensitivity to the insecticide(s).     

An Antibody Against the SecA Membrane Protein of One Phytoplasma Reacts with Those of Phylogenetically Different Phytoplasmas

ABSTRACT Antisera raised against phloem-limited phytoplasmas generally react only with the phytoplasma strain used to produce the antigen. There is a need for an antiserum that reacts with a variety of phytoplasmas. Here, we show that an antiserum raised against the SecA membrane protein of onion yellows phytoplasma, which belongs to the aster yellows 16S-group, detected eight phytoplasma strains from four distinct 16S-groups (aster yellows, western X, rice yellow dwarf, and elm yellows). In immunoblots, approximately 96-kDa SecA protein was detected in plants infected with each of the eight phytoplasmas. Immunohistochemical staining of thin sections prepared from infected plants was localized in phloem tissues. This antiserum should be useful in the detection and histopathological analysis of a wide range of phytoplasmas.     

Immune responses against measles virus in cynomolgus monkeys

Measles virus (MV) induces profound suppression of the immune response during and for weeks after acute infection. On the other hand, virus-specific immune responses that mediate viral clearance and confer long-lasting immunity are efficiently generated. To investigate this paradox, we studied the immune responses to MV using a monkey model of acute measles. Cynomolgus monkeys were experimentally infected with wild-type MV (MV-HL) and showed marked leukopenia associated with a steady reduction in CD4+ T cell numbers for 18 days post-inoculation. Transient expression of interferon and IL-6 were observed in the serum between 4 and 6 days post-inoculation, and IL-10 levels increased after 11 days post-inoculation. Interestingly, IL-8 showed a three-peak increase that correlated with an increase in neutrophils. A non-human primate model of measles allows the early immune response against MV to be studied in more detail.     

A Carotenoid Algal Preparation Containing Phytoene and Phytofluene Inhibited LDL Oxidation In Vitro

The antioxidative effect of the carotenoids phytoene and phytofluene in biological systems has not yet been studied. We therefore sought to investigate the effect of these carotenoids, isolated from the alga Dunaliella bardawil, in a biological system and used the in vitro low density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation method to assay their antioxidative effects. We found that similar to beta-carotene and alpha-tocopherol, a carotenoid algal preparation containing phytoene and phytofluene inhibited LDL oxidation. These findings and the presence of phytoene and phytofluene in human tissues suggest that they can be part of the defense system against oxidative stress.     

Importance of starting age for myelotoxicity study in dietary restricted rats

The aim of this study was to prove our hypothesis that adult rats with lowering of body weight gain, rats at 12 weeks of age as an example, are suitable for evaluation of myelotoxicity. Age-related differences between young rats (6-week-old study) and adult rats (12-week-old study) were analyzed in hematological examination values. The data of the young rats were reprinted from our previous report (Miyata et al., 2009) since our hypothesis was verified by comparison with that previous report. Several experimental groups were defined for the 12-week-old study as well as for the 6-week-old study; these included 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) treated groups receiving 12, 15 and 18 mg/kg/day (FU12, FU15 and FU18), pair-feeding groups (R12, R15 and R18 receiving the same amount of food as in the FU12, FU15 and FU18 groups, respectively) and a nontreated control group. Numerous hematologic and bone marrow parameters in the 5-FU treated groups were comparable to those in the corresponding pair-feeding groups in both age studies. Generally, the influences of undernutrition were more apparent in the young rats than in the adult rats. Histopathological examinations showed a decrease in hematopoiesis in the bone marrow in the 5-FU treated and pair-feeding groups. No apparent differences were observed in the decreased hematopoiesis between the 5-FU treated and pair-feeding groups in the 6-week-old study, but a difference between these groups was noted in the 12-week-old study; decreased hematopoiesis was more frequently noted in the 5-FU treated groups. These facts suggest that adult rats are more suitable than young rats for evaluation of 5-FU-induced myelotoxicity.     

Immunoadjuvant activity of crude lectin extracted from Momordica charantia seed

The aim of this study is to investigate the immunoadjuvant activity of the crude Momordica charantia lectin (crMCL) extracted from seed using beta-galactosidase (beta-gal) as the model antigen. BALB/c mice were injected intramuscularly with beta-gal alone or beta-gal + crMCL for up to four immunizations at two-week intervals. After administration of 2 doses, the IgG-specific titer to beta-gal was significantly higher in mice in the beta-gal + crMCL group than in that from the animals from the beta-gal alone group, while it was about the same in both groups after 1 dose. Our data suggest that crMCL may help raise antibodies under the prime and boost administration regimen and could be a potent vaccine adjuvant.     

Concentrations of C-reactive Protein in Normal Monkeys (Macaca irus) and in Monkeys Inoculated with Bordetella bronchiseptica R-5 and Measles Virus

The concentrations of C-reactive protein (CRP) in serum from normal crab-eating monkeys (Macaca irus) were measured by means of a monkey-specific turbidimetric immunoassay (TIA), and the changes in the serum CRP concentrations in crab-eating monkeys inoculated with Bordetella bronchiseptica R-5 and measles virus (Ichinose or NK 3 strain) were also examined. The CRP concentrations in sera from 54 normal crab-eating monkeys ranged from 0 to 8.3 g/ml (mean 2.2±1.9). No significant difference was found in the CRP concentrations between males and females (p>0.05). The concentrations of CRP in the sera from four crab-eating monkeys inoculated intrabronchially with 10⁹ live B. bronchiseptica increased gradually to a peak at 2 days after inoculation. The peak concentrations of CRP were from 102.4 to 313.2 g/ml, 54–96 times the preinoculative values of 1.9–5.6 g/ml. When the same four crab-eating monkeys were inoculated intrabronchially with measles virus 34 days after inoculation of B. bronchiseptica, the serum CRP concentrations did not increase. Monitoring of CRP is useful for assessing monkeys with acute B. bronchiseptica infection and will probably be of value in the diagnosis of other bacterial infections.