Temporary, but essential requirement of CD8+ T cells early in the pathogenesis of diabetes in BB rats as revealed by thymectomy and CD8 depletion.

Autoimmunity-prone BB rats demonstrate a T lymphocytopenia and abnormal T cell subset distribution. To test whether the life span of all T cells or only of certain subsets is reduced in BB rats, we thymectomised 8-week-old BB and PVG rats and subsequently assessed size and composition of the T cell population over a 6-week-period. In both strains, thymectomy (Tx) was followed by a decrease in peripheral T cell numbers, which was proportionally larger in BB rats.

Positively charged biomaterials exert antimicrobial effects on gram-negative bacilli in rats.

Biomaterial-centered infection is a much-dreaded complication associated with the use of biomedical implants. Although positively charged biomaterial surfaces stimulate bacterial adhesion, it has been suggested that surface growth of adhering Gram-negative bacilli is inhibited on positively charged surfaces. In the present paper, we determined the infection rate of differently charged poly(methacrylates) in rats.

In vitro and in vivo antimicrobial activity of covalently coupled quaternary ammonium silane coatings on silicone rubber.

Biomaterial-centered infection is a dreaded complication associated with the use of biomedical implants. In this paper, the antimicrobial activity of silicone rubber with a covalently coupled 3-(trimethoxysilyl)-propyldimethyloctadecylammonium chloride (QAS) coating was studied in vitro and in vivo. Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 12600, Staphylococcus epidermidis HBH, 102, and Gram-negative Esherichia coli O2K2 and Pseudomonas aeruginos AK1 were seeded on silicone rubber with and without QAS-coating, in the absence or presence of adsorbed human plasma proteins.