Long-term fertilization affects the abundance of saprotrophic microfungi degrading resistant forms of soil organic matter.

The effect of mineral and organic fertilization on the occurrence of soil microorganisms was determined in a field experiment. The colony-forming unit counts of saprotrophic microfungi, when estimated on a silicate gel medium containing fulvic acid as a sole carbon source, increased significantly with increasing doses of mineral and organic fertilization. Partial correlation analysis indicated that, unlike bacteria and actinomycetes, microfungi utilizing fulvic acid were significantly associated with soil organic carbon.

Organic fertilization changes the response of mycelium of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and their sporulation to mineral NPK supply.

The synergetic effect of organic (cow manure) and mineral fertilization on the development arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi was demonstrated. The length of AM mycelium and sporulation were used as sensitive markers of the physiological state of soil AM fungal population. In manured treatments, both parameters increased in proportion with increasing mineral fertilization.

Neuroendocrine-immune interactions in the neonate.

Cytokine responses to lipopolysaccharides in neuroendocrine tissues are age- and tissue-dependent in neonatal pigs. Developmental differences in serum and tissue-specific responses are not necessarily equivalent. Lower levels of cytokine gene expression in neuroendocrine tissues of early neonates potentially could influence neuroendocrine and immune responses to infection.

Attenuation of lipopolysaccharide fever in rats by protein kinase C inhibitors.

The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of inhibitors of protein kinase C (PKC) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced fever and changes in circulating interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels in freely moving biotelemetered rats. We used PKC inhibitors with different inhibition constants (Ki): H-7 (Ki = 6 microM) and chelerythrine (Chel; Ki = 0.66 microM; a more potent PKC inhibitor).

Effects of thermal environment on response to acute peripheral lipopolysaccharide challenge exposure in neonatal pigs.

Objective: To evaluate effects of thermal environment on response to acute peripheral lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge exposure in neonatal pigs.

Animals: 26 neonatal pigs.

Procedure: Pigs were assigned to the following treatment groups: 1 warm environment/LPS; 2 warm environment/saline solution; 3 cool environment/LPS; and 4 cool environment/saline solution.