Collaborative evaluation of the UniScept quantitative antimicrobial susceptibility test.

UniScept (Analytab Products, Plainview, N.Y.) is a commercially prepared microdilution antimicrobial susceptibility system for the determination, in a single tray, of antimicrobial MICs for gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria and those isolated from urinary tract infections.

Multiple opioid receptors in endotoxic shock: evidence for delta involvement and mu-delta interactions in vivo.

The use of selective delta and mu opioid antagonists has provided evidence that delta opioid receptors within the brain mediate the endogenous opioid component of endotoxic shock hypotension. The selectivity of these delta and mu antagonists was demonstrated by their differing effects upon morphine analgesia and endotoxic hypotension. The mu antagonist beta-funaltrexamine, at doses that antagonized morphine analgesia, failed to alter shock, whereas the delta antagonist M 154,129: [N,N-bisallyl-Tyr-Gly-Gly-psi-(CH2S)-Phe-Leu-OH] (ICI) reversed shock at doses that failed to block morphine analgesia.

Pathogenicity of Candida paratropicalis.

A new Candida species, Candida paratropicalis, was recently described. Four cases of infections due to C paratropicalis are reviewed in detail and an additional five cases are reviewed to establish the clinical relevance of this species of yeast. Candida paratropicalis was isolated from blood and several other body sites.

Naloxazone lacks therapeutic effects in endotoxic shock yet blocks the effects of naloxone.

Cardiovascular effects of the high affinity, irreversible opiate antagonist, naloxazone, were investigated in conscious rats subjected to endotoxic shock. Unlike other less selective opiate antagonists such as naloxone, naloxazone failed to block or reverse the hemodynamic effects of endotoxemia. However, naloxazone pretreatment prevented the usual therapeutic effects of naloxone in endotoxic shock.

Multiple opioid receptors: evidence for mu-delta binding site interactions in endotoxic shock.

Using antagonists with selectivity for the delta (ICI 154,129) and mu (beta-funaltrexamine) binding sites, evidence was obtained to indicate that delta receptors within the brain mediate the endogenous opioid component of endotoxic hypotension. The therapeutic actions of intravenous ICI 154,129 were dose related, with effective doses between 15-60 mg/kg. Evidence for a functional interaction between mu and delta binding sites was obtained: prior occupancy of the mu binding site by beta-funaltrexamine prevented the usual therapeutic response to the delta antagonist ICI 154,129 in endotoxemic rats.

Adrenalectomy blocks pressor responses to naloxone in endotoxic shock: evidence for sympathomedullary involvement.

The effects of naloxone on endotoxic hypotension in adrenalectomized and selectively adrenal demedullated rats were evaluated. In sham-operated rats, naloxone administered intracerebroventricularly (ICV) and intravenously (IV) produced an elevation of arterial pressure in this conscious rat model of endotoxemia. By contrast, both adrenalectomy and selective adrenal demedullation (wherein cortical function remained) not only enhanced the sensitivity to endotoxin-induced hypotension at least 10- to 15-fold, but also completely prevented the pressor response to ICV or IV naloxone.

M 154,129, a putative delta antagonist, reverses endotoxic shock without altering morphine analgesia.

Studies were conducted with the putative delta opiate receptor antagonist M 154,129 to evaluate its potential for reversing circulatory shock without altering nociceptive processes. M 154,129 (30 mg/kg iv) did not alter tail flick or hot plate latencies by itself, nor did it alter the antinociceptive effects of morphine (4 mg/kg iv). Following endotoxic shock hypotension in conscious rats, M 154,129 (30 or 60 mg/kg iv) produced a rapid return of arterial pressure to pretreatment levels.

Primary culture media for routine urine processing.

It has been recommended that routine microbiological processing of urine specimens include quantitative plating onto blood agar medium along with a selective and differential agar such as MacConkey agar for gram-negative organisms. Few data have been published to justify this combination. To evaluate the validity of this recommendation 2,553 midstream, clean-voided urine samples were quantitatively plated onto blood agar, MacConkey agar, and colistin-nalidixic acid agar, which is a selective medium for gram-positive organisms.

Naloxone or TRH fails to improve neurologic deficits in gerbil models of "stroke".

The effects of naloxone or thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) upon neurologic outcome were evaluated in gerbil models of cerebral ischemia. Following temporary bilateral carotid occlusion, hypotension was transiently reversed by these endorphin antagonists. However, neither drug altered time to awaken, time to death, or the severity of neurologic signs (ptosis, movement, retracted paws, circling, righting reflexes, seizures, or opisthotonus) when evaluated by a blinded rater.

Evaluation of a rapid inoculum preparation method for agar disk diffusion susceptibility testing.

A rapid inoculum preparation method for agar disk diffusion susceptibility testing which does not require incubation before inoculation of Mueller-Hinton plates was compared with the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS) method. A total of 326 fresh clinical isolates were tested, and the NCCLS-recommended quality control organisms were included with each test series. Randomly distributed interpretative changes occurred with 27 (0.

Influence of media on temperature-dependent motility test for Yersinia enterocolitica.

The influence of six widely used media on the motility of 100 isolates of Yersinia enterocolitica grown at 25 and 37 degrees C was investigated. Seven isolates were motile at 25 and 37 degrees C in all media, and the presence of flagellated cells was demonstrated by a flagellum stain. Six isolates were nonmotile at both temperatures in all media, and no flagella were observed.

Thyrotropin-releasing hormone improves cardiovascular function in experimental endotoxic and hemorrhagic shock.

Thyrotropin-releasing hormone significantly improved cardiovascular function when it was injected intravenously into conscious rats subjected to experimental endotoxic or hemorrhagic shock. Because thyrotropin-releasing hormone appears to be a "physiologic: opiate antagonist without effects on pain responsiveness, it may provide therapeutic benefits in the treatment of shock or acute hypotension.

Use of rapid auxanographic procedures for recognition of an atypical Candida.

An atypical Candida which can cause diagnostic problems in clinical laboratories has recently been characterized. Assimilation patterns of 29 clinical isolates of an atypical Candida were obtained by the API 30C (Analytab Products, Plainview, N.Y.

Diagnostic characters of an atypical Candida.

The morphological and physiological characters of an atypical Candida isolated from diverse clinical specimens are described. The colony and microscopic morphologies of the atypical Candida most closely resemble those of Candida tropicalis or of reported sucrose-negative variants of C. tropicalis.

The systems approach to diagnostic microbiology.

"Classical" and "conventional" methods for microbial identification are still utilized in clinical microbiology laboratories; however, significant advances in methodology have taken place in the last two decades. In the transition from classical to contemporary methodologies, the reference point has changed from multistep procedures to unitary procedures with marked emphasis on standardization, speed, reproducibility, and most recently, mechanization and automation. The most evident expression of this transition is the adaptation or streamlining of classical methods in the form of "miniaturized identification systems" and their commercial availability.

Rapid identification of Prototheca species by the API 20C system.

The conventional auxanographic method of testing for the assimilation of carbohydrates and alcohols by the various species of Prototheca requires at least 2 weeks of incubation at 25 to 30 degrees C before definitive results are obtained. Even though Prototheca spp., in culture as well as in fixed tissues, can be identified more rapidly by fluorescent-antibody techniques in which species-specific reagents are used, such diagnostic facilities and reagents are not available in most diagnostic laboratories.

Effects of asbestos and beryllium on release of alveolar macrophage enzymes.

Rabbit alveolar macrophages were exposed in culture medium to asbestos, beryllium sulfate, and beryllium oxide. The specific activities of the lysosomal hydrolases, acid phosphatase beta-N-acetylglucosaminidase and beta-glucuronidase plus the glycolytic enzyme, phosphohexose isomerase were determined in the medium, whole-cell homogenates, mitochondrial fractions, and supernatant. These hydrolases increased significantly in the medium but not in the mitochondrial fraction of cells exposed to dusts.

Incidence of "oxidase-variable" strains of Aeromonas hydrophila.

Certain strains of Aeromonas hydrophila are oxidase negative when grown on gram-negative selective and differential media. Of 100 strains of A. hydrophila examined, 8 were found to possess this characteristic.

Purification by affinity chromatography and properties of a beta-lactamase isolated from Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

beta-Lactamase activity was detected in cell-free preparations obtained from ultrasonic treatment of Neisseria gonorrhoeae after growth in liquid medium. Crude preparations of beta-lactamase were subjected to affinity chromatography, using several beta-lactam antibiotics as ligands bound to agarose supports. Affinity gels produced by coupling 7-aminocephalosporanic acid or 6-aminopenicillanic acid by their amino groups to carboxyl-terminal agarose via a five- to eight-carbon spacer arm proved to be effective chromatography media.

Bronchopulmonary cellular response to aluminum and zirconium salts.

The bronchopulmonary cellular immunological response to repeated intratracheal inoculation of aluminum chlorhydrate, sodium zirconium lactate, and zirconium aluminum glycine was examined in rabbits. Results of a dose-response experiment using 0.1, 1.

Plasmalogenase is elevated in early demyelinating lesions.

Plasmalogenase catalyzes the hydrolysis of ethanolamine plasmalogens to long-chain aldehydes and 2-acyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamines. During development, plasmalogenase activity parallels myelination. The enzyme is most concentrated within oligodendroglial cells and is absent from myelin.