In vivo comparison of jellyfish and bovine collagen sponges as prototype medical devices.

Jellyfish have emerged as a source of next generation collagen that is an attractive alternative to existing sources, such as bovine and porcine, due to a plentiful supply and providing a safer source through lack of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) transmission risk and potential viral vectors, both of which could be transmitted to humans. Here we compare collagen implantable sponges derived for the first time from the Rhizostoma pulmo jellyfish. A further novelty for the research was that there was a comparison for sponges that were either uncrosslinked or crosslinked using 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC), and an assessment on how this affected resorption, as well as their biocompatibility compared to bovine type I collagen sponges.

Partial Resistance to Septoria Tritici Blotch (Mycosphaerella graminicola) in Wheat Cultivars Arina and Riband.

ABSTRACT Partial resistance to Septoria tritici blotch (STB) and its inheritance were investigated in a doubled-haploid population of a cross between cvs. Arina and Riband. The former has good partial resistance whereas the latter is susceptible.

Superior mesenteric artery bypass for chronic mesenteric ischaemia: a DGH experience.

This article evaluates the results of single vessel bypass surgery for symptomatic chronic mesenteric ischaemia (CMI) in 6 patients undergoing a total of 8 superior mesenteric artery (SMA) bypass operations, all with good post-operative symptom relief. Post-prandial pain and weight loss was present in 5 out of 6 patients. Epigastric bruit was present in only two patients and 4 out of 6 patients had diarrhoea.

Impact of adrenalectomy on 5-HT6 and 5-HT7 receptor gene expression in the rat hippocampus.

Both glucocorticoid excess and decreased serotonergic (5-HT) transmission may cause depression. The recently cloned 5-HT6 and 5-HT7 receptors have high affinity for antidepressants. Here, we show that pharmacological adrenalectomy increases 5-HT6 and 5-HT7 receptor mRNA expression in specific hippocampal subfields, effects partly reversed by corticosterone replacement.

The squalestatins: inhibitors of squalene synthase. Enzyme inhibitory activities and in vivo evaluation of C3-modified analogues.

Squalestatin analogues modified at C3 were prepared and evaluated for their ability to inhibit rat liver microsomal squalene synthase in vitro. While the 4,6-dimethyloctenoate ester group at C6 was maintained, a number of modifications to the C3 carboxylic acid were well tolerated. However, in the absence of the C6 ester group, similar modifications to the C3 carboxyl group caused loss of activity.

Early environmental regulation of forebrain glucocorticoid receptor gene expression: implications for adrenocortical responses to stress.

The adrenal glucocorticoids and catecholamines comprise a frontline of defense for mammalian species under conditions which threaten homeostasis (conditions commonly referred to as stress). Glucocorticoids represent the end product of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and along with the catecholamines serve to mobilize the production and distribution of energy substrates during stress. The increased secretion of pituitary-adrenal hormones in response to stress is stimulated by the release of corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and/or arginine vasopressin (AVP) from neurons in the nucleus paraventricularis.

The relationship between opacity factor and M protein in Streptococcus pyogenes.

Lancefield acid extracts of Streptococcus pyogenes, type 22 (T12, M22, OF positive) gave good yields of M protein and little opacity factor (OF), but sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) extracts contained high titres of OF (greater than 20000) and little M protein. Acid-extracted OF could be separated from M protein by Sepharose 4B chromatography, but some of the OF-positive fractions that did not precipitate with the absorbed homologous anti-M rabbit serum, were able to neutralise opsonic antibodies present in human serum. The isoelectric-focusing profiles of the two antigens showed partial similarity.

The opacity factor of group-A streptococci.

Cell-bound opacity factor (OF) was extracted with sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) to yield stable extracts with titres of greater than 20 000. The mol.-wt distributions of extracellular and SDS-extracted OF, determined by ultrafiltration or chromatography on Sepharose 4B, suggested that the high mol.

Minimum amount of penicillin prophylaxis required to control Streptococcus pyogenes epidemic in closed community.

The prophylaxis required to control an epidemic of Streptococcus pyogenes throat infection in a junior detention centre has been reported. In a further epidemic an attempt was made to determine the minimum amount of penicillin required to control the outbreak. Oral penicillin (0.

Streptococcal antibodies in patients with burn injuries.

Serum samples from 14 patients whose burns had become infected with streptococci of groups A (11 patients), C (one patient) or G (two patients), and from 19 burned patients without bacteriological evidence of streptococcal infection were examined for anti-streptococcal antibodies. Tests were made for anti-streptolysin O (ASO), anti-hyaluronidase (AH), anti-deoxyribonuclease B (anti-DNAase B) and antibody against M-associated protein (MAP). Sera from the patients with streptococcal infections were also examined, when this was practicable, for 'bactericidal' (anti-M) antibody and for antibody against the opacity factor (OF) of the infecting serotype.

Streptococcal infection in a Junior Detention Centre: a five-year study.

In 1972 more than 20% of boys admitted to a closed community (Junior Detention Centre) developed acute tonsillitis and group-A streptococci were isolated from more than 40% of all boys at some time during their stay of two months. The most common serotype was M-type 5, which has frequently been associated with rheumatic fever in other epidemics; four cases of rheumatic fever occurred between 1972 and 1977. Various methods were tried to eliminate the infection, but only full penicillin prophylaxis (0.

Predominance of immunoglobulin G sub-class 3 among the complement-fixing antibodies to streptococcal M-associated protein.

During investigation of the absorption of group-A streptococcal antibodies from human sera by a protein A-positive Staphylococcus aureus strain, we found that the complement-fixing antibodies to M-associated protein (MAP) were only partially absorbed from the majority of sera tested, although they were shown to belong to the immunoglobulin G (IgG) class by density gradient centrifugation. In contrast, other streptococcal antibodies: anti-streptolysin O (ASO), anti-deoxyribonuclease B (anti-DNAase B), 'bactericidal' M antibody and anti-opacity factor (anti-OF), were completely absorbed from all but a minority of sera. We suggest that the complement-fixing antibodies to MAP may be of restricted heterogeneity and have an abnormal IgG sub-class distribution, with a marked predominance of IgG3 (the only sub-class that does not interact with protein A) over the IgG1 and IgG2 sub-class; IgG4 does not participate in complement fixation.

Inhibition of beta-haemolysis by opacity factor in group A streptococci.

Group-A streptococci belonging to opacity-factor (OF)-positive M types were poorly haemolytic on horse-blood agar, but members of OF-negative M types, and M-negative variants of OF-positive strains gave good haemolysis. Horse-serum extracts of strains of OF-negative serotypes 6 and 12, and M-negative variant cultures of OF-positive serotypes 4 and 49, had higher titres of streptolysin S than did similar extracts of OF-positive, M-positive cultures of types 4 and 49. However, much larger amounts of streptolysin S could be extracted with ribonuclease (RNAase)-digested yeast ribonucleic acid (RNA) and M-positive OF-positive cultures treated in this way gave extracts at least as strong as did their M-negative variants or the OF-negative strains.

Immunological heterogeneity among the M-associated protein antigens of group-A streptococci.

Different serotypes of group-A streptococci share common antigens that are closely associated with the type-specific determinant of M protein. By the use of selected human sera containing antibody to these M-associated antigens, we have shown that group-A streptococci can be divided into three categories. The majority of the opacity-factor-negative respiratory serotypes possess a shared M-associated antigen or antigens, to which high titres of antibody are common in patients with rheumatic fever, or patients recovering from upper respiratory infections with certain opacity-factor-negative serotypes.

Outbreak of idiopathic erysipelas in a psychiatric hospital.

In an outbreak of idiopathic erysipelas ten women patients, aged 42-74, in a long-stay unit of a psychiatric hospital were simultaneously affected. Group A streptococci M-type 1 were isolated from two isolated from two patients with erysipelas and 18 carriers, but subsequent serological tests for type-specific antibody, antistreptolysin O, and anti-deoxyribonuclease B showed that the infection had been widespread in the unit. Treatment with ampicillin proved ineffective and to prevent relapse it was substituted by a standard course of intramuscular penicillin.

An outbreak of streptococcal sore throat and rheumatic fever in a Royal Air Force training camp; significance of serum antibody to M-associated protein.

A large outbreak of streptococcal sore throat in a Royal Air Force Training Camp resulted in five cases of rheumatic fever among the 16- to 18-year-old apprentices, and one case in a 33-year-old airman. The most prevalent type of group A streptococcus isolated from throat swabs was M-type 5 and there was serological evidence that at least four of the rheumatic fever (R.F.

Antibody to streptococcal opacity factor in human sera.

Two tests are described for detecting antibody to the type-specific opacity factor (OF) of group A streptococci. This antibody was detected among patients convalescent from streptococcal sore throat in two communities in which outbreaks due to opacity factor-producing strains of group A streptococci occurred.In an outbreak due to streptococci of M-type 22 there was a close correspondence between the distribution of anti-OF and of bactericidal M-antibody for the type.

An M-associated protein antigen (MAP) of group A streptococci.

A streptococcal antigen that is closely associated with the M-antigen, but is not type specific can be detected by means of a complement-fixation test in extracts of M-positive, but not of M-negative, variants of group A streptococci. Purification of acid extracts results in a concomitant increase in the purity both of the type-specific M-antigen and of the M-associated protein (MAP). Antibody to MAP is present in the sera of patients who have had streptococcal infection.