Neurophysiological assessment of peripheral nerve and spinal cord function in asymptomatic HIV-1 infection: results from the UCMSM/Medical Research Council neurology cohort.

As part of the Medical Research Council prospective study of the neurological complications of HIV infection, neurophysiological tests of spinal cord and peripheral nerve function were recorded in a cohort of homosexual or bisexual men. The studies included motor and sensory nerve conduction studies, vibration perception thresholds, somatosensory evoked potentials and motor evoked potentials elicited by magnetic stimulation. The results were compared with markers of immune function.

A method to screen T lymphocyte epitopes after oral immunisation of humans: application to cholera toxin B subunit.

The response to oral immunisation of humans with classical biotype cholera toxin B subunit was studied to identify immunodominant T lymphocyte determinants. The in vitro proliferative response to pools of 12-mer peptides and larger peptides used individually was analysed by a novel statistical approach, and identified an immunodominant region in residues 70-79 in immunised subjects, when either pools or individual peptides were employed. In contrast, a patient infected with El Tor biotype had a dominant response to residues 40-60.

Inhibition of ex vivo proinflammatory cytokine secretion in fatal Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection.

Tuberculosis is characterized by fever, weight loss, a prolonged acute-phase protein response and granuloma formation. These characteristics may partly be due to action of proinflammatory cytokines tumour necrosis factor (TNF), IL-6 and IL-8. We investigated plasma concentrations of these cytokines before and after ex vivo lipopolysaccharide stimulation of whole blood leucocytes from 41 Zambian patients with tuberculosis, 32 of whom were also HIV+.

Whole-body protein turnover from leucine kinetics and the response to nutrition in human immunodeficiency virus infection.

Whole-body protein metabolism was investigated in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection by primed constant infusion of L-[1-13C]leucine in 8 control and 22 HIV-infected subjects (8 stage II; 14 stage IV disease), in postabsorptive and fed states. Postabsorptive leucine flux was increased 25% in subjects with stage IV HiV infection vs that in control subjects (130 +/- 13 vs 103 +/- 10 mumol leucine.kg-1.

Interactions of pulmonary surfactant protein D (SP-D) with human blood leukocytes.

Surfactant protein D (SP-D) is believed to contribute to nonimmune host defense within the alveoli and distal airways of the lung. SP-D molecules can bind to specific carbohydrates on the surface of bacterial, fungal, and viral organisms and can also interact with membrane glycoconjugates expressed by alveolar macrophages. Because neutrophils (PMN) and monocytes are recruited into the airspaces in association with many types of infection or lung injury, we examined the interactions of these cells with purified natural and recombinant SP-Ds, using a modified Boyden chamber assay and checkerboard analysis.

N4-hydroxylation of sulfamethoxazole by cytochrome P450 of the cytochrome P4502C subfamily and reduction of sulfamethoxazole hydroxylamine in human and rat hepatic microsomes.

The N4-hydroxylation of sulfamethoxazole (SMX) to its hydroxylamine (SMX-HA) metabolite is the first step in the formation of reactive metabolites responsible for mediating hypersensitivity reactions associated with this compound. In rat hepatic microsomes, the NADPH-dependent oxidation of SMX to SMX-HA was increased 3-fold by pretreatment of rats with phenobarbital. Other cytochrome P450 (CYP) inducers were ineffective.

Binding and degradation of elastin by the staphylolytic enzyme lysostaphin.

Lysostaphin is a bacterial zinc metalloproteinase that degrades staphylococcal cell wall peptidoglycans. We have shown that lysostaphin also binds tightly to elastin and contains elastolytic activity. The objective of this investigation was to further characterize the biochemical mechanism of elastolysis by lysostaphin.

Effect of phenylmethylsulphonyl fluoride on the potency of anandamide as an inhibitor of electrically evoked contractions in two isolated tissue preparations.

The endogenous cannabinoid receptor ligand, anandamide, produced a concentration related inhibition of electrically evoked contractions of the guinea-pig myenteric plexus preparation. Its potency was markedly enhanced by phenylmethylsulphonyl fluoride (2.0-200 microM) which presumably acts by inhibiting the hydrolysis of anandamide in this preparation.

A preliminary investigation of the mechanisms underlying cannabinoid tolerance in the mouse vas deferens.

Vasa deferentia taken from mice treated with delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (20 mg/kg i.p., once daily for 2 days) showed tolerance to the inhibitory effect of the cannabinoid, R-(+)-arachidonyl-1'-hydroxy-2'-propylamide, on electrically evoked twitches.

AM630, a competitive cannabinoid receptor antagonist.

AM630 (iodopravadoline), a novel aminoalkylindole, has been found to attenuate the ability of a number of cannabinoids to inhibit electrically-evoked twitches of the mouse isolated vas deferens. It did not block the inhibitory effects of morphine or clonidine on the twitch response. AM630 behaved as a competitive antagonist of CP 55,940, WIN 55,212-2, anandamide and (R)-(+)-arachidonyl-1'-hydroxy-2'-propylamide (AM356), producing rightward shifts in the log concentration response curves of these cannabinoid receptor agonists that were concentration-dependent, essentially parallel and not accompanied by any decrease in the size of maximal response.

Distribution in the Western United States on Alfalfa and Cultivar Reaction to Mixed Populations of Ditylenchus dipsaci and Aphelenchoides ritzemabosi.

Ditylenchus dipsaci and Aphelenchoides ritzemabosi were extracted from 29 of 40 plant samples (72.5%) collected from Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. Percentages of A.

Resistance of Diploid Triticeae Species and Accessions to the Columbia Root-knot Nematode, Meloidogyne chitwoodi.

The Columbia root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne chitwoodi race 2, is associated with several plant species, including members of the tribe Triticeae. We evaluated 15 diploid species for M. chitwoodi gall and reproductive indices from the following genera: Agropyron, Pseudoroegneria, Hordeum, Psathyrostachys, and Thinopyrum.

Effect of Single and Interplantings on Pathogenicity of Pratyenchus penetrans and P. neglectus to Alfalfa and Crested Wheatgrass.

Alfalfa is a host of Pratylenchus penetrans and P. neglectus, whereas crested wheatgrass is a host of P. neglectus but not of P.

Antibiotic resistance: the current position and the molecular mechanisms involved.

The introduction of antibiotics heralded a new era in the chemotherapy of infectious diseases, but over the ensuing years bacterial evolutionary responses to the selective pressure of antibiotics have resulted in microorganisms resistant to virtually every known antibiotic. The consequences have been very important in clinical practice, as patients infected with a multi-resistant organism suffer increased morbidity and mortality and often require the use of expensive and potentially toxic antibiotic regimens in order to achieve effective, specific treatment.

Cardiac muscle protein gene expression in the endotoxin-treated rat.

1. Sepsis is associated with marked changes in cardiac muscle protein synthesis. Such changes may be the result of altered transcription of specific myofibrillar protein mRNAs.