Serum-free culture of human hepatoma Hep G2 cells with egg yolk low density lipoprotein.

We prepared serum-free medium supplemented with growth factors, hormones, nutrients, and egg yolk low density lipoprotein (LDL), and examined the growth-promoting activities of growth factors and culture conditions on human hepatoma Hep G2 cells. Collagen type I was appropriate for precoating tissue culture vessels in which Hep G2 cells were cultured in serum-free medium. William's medium E and a mixture of Dulbecco and Vogt's modification of Eagle's medium and Ham's F-12 (1:1) were used as basal medium.

[Differences in susceptibility of Helicobacter pylori to macrolide and other antibiotics in tests using blood agar and albumin agar].

Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of penicillin G, cefazolin, tetracycline, chloramphenicol, four aminoglycosides, and seven macrolides against Helicobacter pylori strains were determined on Brucella agar supplemented with bovine serum albumin fraction V (albumin agar) and compared with those on blood agar. MICs of the macrolides against H. pylori determined on albumin agar were markedly lower than those found with blood agar.

Effects of diethylene glycol monomethyl ether on pregnancy and postnatal development in rats.

The effects of oral treatment of Wistar rats with diethylene glycol monomethyl ether (diEGME) were examined. In a preliminary dose-finding study with non-pregnant rats, diEGME treatment at doses up to 4,000 mg/kg/day on 11 consecutive days decreased relative weights of thymus and pituitary gland, white and red blood cell counts, hemoglobin concentrations and hematocrit levels. In pregnant rats, treatment at doses of > 3,000 mg/kg/day (over gestation days 7-17) caused total resorption of all litters.

Role of gastric glutathione in smoke flavouring-induced gastric injury in rats.

Some commercial liquid smoke flavourings have been shown to induce acute gastric mucosal injury in rats when given orally as a large single dose. The present study was carried out to examine the mechanism of action in rats of two selected smoke flavourings containing about 10% total acids as acetic acid. These flavourings and 10% acetic acid decreased the concentration of glutathione (GSH) in the glandular stomach.

Hepatotoxicity of trichlorfon and dichlorvos in isolated rat hepatocytes.

Hepatotoxicity of organophosphorus insecticides, trichlorofon and dichlorvos, a dechlorinated form of the former, was examined in isolated hepatocytes from untreated control and phenobarbital-pretreated (80 mg/kg, i.p., for 3 days) rats.

Effects of feeding and fasting on hepatolobular distribution of glutathione and cadmium-induced hepatotoxicity.

Relationship between hepatolobular distribution profile of glutathione (GSH) and cadmium (Cd)-induced hepatotoxicity was examined in both fed and fasted rats by computerized densitometry of histochemically stained GSH in the liver sections using an image analyzer system. In fed rats, density gradient distribution of hepatolobular GSH, which was higher in the periportal region than in the perivenous one, was always observed even at a diurnally minimal concentration of GSH. This heterogeneous distribution of GSH, however, disappeared in fasted rats, even though the hepatic GSH concentration recovered to 81% of the control level in rats fasted for 48 h.

Comparative teratogenicity of di-n-butyltin diacetate with n-butyltin trichloride in rats.

Teratological tests were conducted on di-n-butyltin diacetate (DBTA), and n-butyltin trichloride (MBTC). Pregnant Wistar rats were treated orally with DBTA at doses of 0, 1.7, 5.

Mitotic toxicity, sister chromatid exchange, and rec assay of pesticides.

Genotoxicity of 10 pesticides (chlornitrofen, chlomethoxyfen, molinate, thiobencarb, simazine, simetryn, diazinon, iprofenfos, piperofos and oxadiazone) was studied by mitotic toxicity, sister chromatid exchange, and rec assay. The pesticides are detected frequently at high levels in the Yodo River water in Osaka, Japan, which is used for drinking water by thirteen million people. Mitotic toxicity was evaluated by mitotic index (MI) and second mitosis index (SI), using a Chinese hamster cell line V79.

Genotoxicity of beryllium, gallium and antimony in short-term assays.

The genotoxicity of beryllium, gallium and antimony compounds was studied with the rec, Salmonella mutagenicity and SCE assays. In the rec assay, all the salts of the metals, BeCl2, Be(NO3)2, GaCl3, Ga(NO3)3, SbCl3, SbCl5, and an oxide, Sb2O3, had DNA-damaging activity. None of the compounds was mutagenic to Salmonella.

Mannose-resistant adhesion of motile Aeromonas to INT407 cells and the differences among isolates from humans, food and water.

Aeromonas has been recognized as an important enteropathogen, but factors related to its virulence have not been clarified. For most enteric pathogens, attachment is a prerequisite for infection and for the effective delivery of toxins to the intestinal epithelial cells. We examined a total of 273 strains isolated from stool, food and environmental specimens by an assay for mannose-resistant adhesion to INT407 cells in vitro.

Monitoring Culex tritaeniorhynchus (Diptera: Culicidae) abundance in cow sheds by in situ counting.

The number of Culex tritaeniorhynchus Giles counted in situ on five sheets of paper was compared with that of mosquitoes captured in a Nozawa blacklight trap at two cow sheds in Tsu City, Japan, to evaluate the effectiveness of the in situ counting method. The total number of Cx. tritaeniorhynchus collected on 27 lighttrap-nights (434,362) was greater than that counted in situ on 270 paper samples (18,093).

Enhancement of mutagenicity of 1-nitropyrene by water as a diluent.

The mutagenicity of 1-nitropyrene was strongly enhanced in the Salmonella mutagenicity test with the preincubation modification when it was dissolved in dimethylsulfoxide and diluted with water. The enhancement of mutagenicity was not found in the plate incorporation method and seemed to be common to chemicals which have low solubilities in water. The indications were that the effectiveness of preincubation modification was due to the increased absorption of test chemicals by the Salmonella cells, and that the absorption depends primarily on the solubility of test chemicals in the assay mixture.

Agglutination of human O erythrocytes by influenza A(H1N1) viruses freshly isolated from patients.

The hemagglutinin titers of 10 influenza A (H1N1) viruses were examined using the erythrocytes of several species. Human O erythrocytes showed the highest agglutination titer to the viruses, whereas chicken erythrocytes showed a low titer. These findings were noted for at least 10 passages by serial dilutions of the viruses in Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells.

Effects of triphenyltin acetate on pregnancy in rats by oral administration.

A teratological test was carried out on triphenyltin acetate (TPTA) used as a fungicide and antifouling agent. Pregnant Wistar rats were treated orally with TPTA at dose levels of 0, 1.5, 3.

Teratogenicity study of tri-n-butyltin acetate in rats by oral administration.

A teratological test was carried out on tri-n-butyltin acetate (TBTA) used as a biocide and anti-fouling agent. Pregnant Wistar rats were treated orally with TBTA at dose levels of 0, 1, 2, 4, 8, and 16 mg/kg from days 7-17 of gestation. Cesarean sections were performed on day 20 of gestation.

Pattern of shedding of small, round-structured virus particles in stools of patients of outbreaks of food-poisoning from raw oysters.

The pattern of shedding of the small, round-structured virus (SRSV) particles in the stools of patients who suffered from food-poisoning due to raw oysters was investigated. The duration and concentration of fecal shedding of the SRSV particles were studied by electron microscopic examinations of stool specimens obtained during the course of illness to see a relation of viral shedding to day of illness. It was found that the fecal shedding of the SRSV particles occurred within five days of illness; thereafter, the concentration of the SRSV particles in feces rapidly decreased within a few days during the course of illness.

Direct virus inactivation of tachyplesin I and its isopeptides from horseshoe crab hemocytes.

Direct virus inactivation of tachyplesin I and related isopeptides, which are antimicrobial peptides isolated from the hemocytes of the horseshoe crab (Tachypleus tridentatus and Limulus polyphemus), was examined against several viruses. Vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) was inactivated by incubation with tachyplesin I and its isopeptides. Influenza A (H1N1) virus was slightly inactivated by tachyplesin I, whereas herpes simplex virus 1 and 2, adenovirus 1, reovirus 2 and poliovirus 1 were resistant to inactivation.

Hepatotoxicity of geniposide in rats.

The hepatotoxic effects of geniposide were investigated in rats. Increases in serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase activities as a result of oral administration of 320 mg geniposide/kg body weight were suppressed when geniposide was administered ip or when the rats were pretreated with chloramphenicol. The non-protein sulphydryl content of the liver 4 hr after oral administration of geniposide decrease in a dose-dependent manner.

Screening of aquatic samples for Vibrio cholerae serotype O1 by a dot-blot method and a latex agglutination test.

A dot-blot, enzyme-linked immunosorbent method and a latex agglutination test were studied for their abilities to detect Vibrio cholerae serotype O1 in aquatic samples by testing artificially contaminated water as well as samples from natural potential sources. Water samples were preenriched with alkaline peptone and then enriched with Monsur peptone water. For the dot-blot test, enriched cultures of organisms in a small portion of the Monsur peptone water were transferred to a polyvinylidene difluoride membrane with a microfiltration apparatus.

Effects of fasting on cadmium toxicity, glutathione metabolism, and metallothionein synthesis in rats.

Acute oral toxicity of Cd (as cadmium chloride) was enhanced in rats fasted 24 hr, as shown by a markedly decreased LD50. To examine the relationship among Cd toxicity, hepatic glutathione (GSH), and metallothionein (MT) during fasting, rats were administered 75 mg Cd/kg orally 24 hr after fasting and euthanized after a further 4 or 24 hr for various assays. Serum glutamic-pyruvic transaminase activity 24 hr after Cd treatment was higher in fasted rats than in fed rats.

Relationship between hepatic glutathione content and carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatotoxicity in vivo.

The relationship between carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced hepatotoxicity and hepatic glutathione (GSH) content was investigated in fed and fasted rats. The elevation of serum glutamic-pyruvic transaminase (GTP) activity by CCl4 treatment was enhanced by fasting. Although the hepatic GSH content fo 12-hour-fasted rats was higher than that of fed rats determined at 6 p.

Hepatotoxicity of gardenia yellow color in rats.

Acute toxicity by gardenia yellow color was studied in rats. Oral administration of the colorant at doses of 800 mg/kg up to 5000 mg/kg caused diarrhea and increases in serum alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase activities in a dose-dependent manner. After 24 h of oral treatment with 2000 mg/kg of the colorant, liver showed partially hemorrhagic changes and the intestinal tract, especially the duodenum, appeared blue.