Antimicrobial properties of human lysozyme transgenic mouse milk.

The antimicrobial properties of standard human lysozyme and the milk of transgenic mice expressing human lysozyme were investigated using bacterial strains important to the dairy industry. Standard human lysozyme was found to be effective at significantly slowing the growth of the milk cold-spoilage organism Pseudomonas fragi (P < 0.001), of a clinical isolate of the mastitis-causing organism Staphylococcus aureus (P < 0.

Neural crest development: the interplay between morphogenesis and cell differentiation.

The final pattern of tissues established during embryogenesis reflects the outcome of two developmental processes: differentiation and morphogenesis. Avian neural crest cells are an excellent system in which to study this interaction. In the first phase of neural crest cell migration, neural crest cells separate from the neural epithelium via an epithelial-mesenchymal transformation.

Adaptive bone modeling in the middle ear is substance-P dependent.

Hypothesis: Localized bone modeling in the middle ear is substance-P dependent.

Background: Processes of local bone modeling and remodeling in the middle and inner ear lead to destructive processes such as otosclerosis and chronic otitis media. The cellular events associated with these processes are known, but the mechanisms of the control and activation of the involved cells are not.

Differentiation of Cryptosporidium parvum isolates by a simplified randomly amplified polymorphic DNA technique.

Genomic DNA was isolated from Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts by a specific immunomagnetic separation-in vitro excystation procedure and subjected to randomly amplified polymorphic DNA analysis using sequence-independent primers. An estuary C. parvum isolate was easily differentiated from several bovine isolates, while five bovine isolates of the same origin were indistinguishable from each other.

Characterization of a microsatellite in the promoter region of the IGF1 gene in domestic horses and other equids.

Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1) regulates growth and metabolic functions in vertebrates. A dinucleotide repeat sequence located at the promoter region of the IGF1 gene has been reported in several vertebrate species and may affect the control of the transcriptional activity of this gene. The genotypes of animals from seven horse breeds were determined in order to study the potential association of allelic forms of this microsatellite with adult body size differences found in domestic horses.

In vivo replication capacity rather than in vitro macrophage tropism predicts efficiency of vaginal transmission of simian immunodeficiency virus or simian/human immunodeficiency virus in rhesus macaques.

We used the rhesus macaque model of heterosexual human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission to test the hypothesis that in vitro measures of macrophage tropism predict the ability of a primate lentivirus to initiate a systemic infection after intravaginal inoculation. A single atraumatic intravaginal inoculation with a T-cell-tropic molecular clone of simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV), SIVmac239, or a dualtropic recombinant molecular clone of SIV, SIVmac239/1A11/239, or uncloned dualtropic SIVmac251 or uncloned dualtropic simian/human immunodeficiency virus (SHIV) 89.6-PD produced systemic infection in all rhesus macaques tested.

Effect of monocrotaline metabolites on glutathione levels in human and bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cells.

After being dehydrogenated by cytochrome P450 enzymes in the liver, monocrotaline's highly-reactive pyrrole metabolite, dehydromonocrotaline, is believed to interact with pulmonary artery endothelial cells to initiate a pulmonary vascular toxicity resembling pulmonary hypertension. Glutathione, an abundant antioxidant in pulmonary artery endothelial cells, has been shown to react with and detoxify the pyrrolic metabolites derived from monocrotaline in the liver. Using high-performance liquid chromatography with electrochemical detection, glutathione levels were measured in a time- and dose-dependent manner in human pulmonary artery endothelial cells following treatment with dehydromonocrotaline, dehydroretronecine and N-ethylmaleimide and bovine pulmonary artery endothelial cells after treatment with dehydromonocrotaline.

Perinatal bupivacaine and infant behavior in rhesus monkeys.

To assess the effect of perinatal epidural bupivacaine analgesia on infant behavioral development, bupivacaine (1.2 mg/kg) was administered to term-pregnant rhesus monkeys (treated, n = 11, procedural controls, n = 8) and infant behavior was evaluated for 1 year using a test battery including infant neurobehavioral tests, observation of spontaneous behavior, and structured cognitive testing. No adverse effects of bupivacaine were detected for neonatal neurobehavior, early cognitive abilities, or performance of cognitive tasks by older infants.

Four distinct cyclin-dependent kinases phosphorylate histone H1 at all of its growth-related phosphorylation sites.

In mammalian cells, up to six serines and threonines in histone H1 are phosphorylated in vivo in a cell cycle dependent manner that has long been linked with chromatin condensation. Growth-associated H1 kinases, now known as cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs), are thought to be the enzymes responsible for this process. This paper describes the phosphorylation of histone H1 by four different purified CDKs.

Albumin turnover in renal disease.

Hypoalbuminemia is found in patients both with the nephrotic syndrome and with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) treated either with continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) or hemodialysis. In nephrotic patients the primary causes of hypoalbuminemia are urinary albumin losses, an inappropriate increase in the fractional catabolic rate (FCR) of albumin and an insufficient increase in the rate of albumin synthesis to replace these losses. Nevertheless, the albumin synthetic rate is increased significantly.

Cluster of wound botulism in California: clinical, electrophysiologic, and pathologic study.

Over a period of 15 months we have seen 6 patients with long-standing history of subcutaneous heroin injections who experienced acute blurred vision, dysphagia, dysarthria, and generalized weakness. Decreased or absent deep tendon reflexes, pupillary abnormalities, incremental responses to fast repetitive nerve stimulation, and positive serology for Clostridia botulinum toxin A were found, but not in all cases. Muscle biopsies showed variable signs of neurogenic atrophy.

Cyclin-dependent protein kinase 5 activity increases in rat brain following ischemia.

Cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (CDK5) is the 34 kDa catalytic subunit of a recently characterized neuronal cdc2-like protein kinase which appears to be involved in regulation of the neurocytoskeleton. Using the rat postdecapitative model, the effect of brain ischemia on histone H1 and tau protein CDK5 phosphorylating activity was examined. Histone H1 kinase activity increased in both cytosolic and particulate fractions of the hippocampus and neocortex after 5 min and 15 min of ischemia, then declined to control levels.

Simulation of human luteal endocrine function with granulosa lutein cell culture.

Human granulosa cells collected from in vitro fertilization have previously been cultured to provide a system to simulate the granulosa lutein cells of the corpus luteum. In most of these systems, the cultures have been relatively short term, and attempts to simulate the normal pattern of hormone production observed during the luteal phase of the cycle have not been reported. Additionally, the hormone relaxin has generally been absent from the endocrine analysis of these systems.

Pulmonary vagal reflexes and breathing pattern are not altered in elastase-induced emphysema in rats.

The role of nonmyelinated and myelinated vagal afferents in pulmonary reflexes and breathing pattern was examined in elastase-treated emphysemic rats. Fourteen to 17 days after intratracheal instillation of 1 IU/gm of porcine pancreatic elastase or 0.5 mL of saline, elastase-treated rats had a decreased alveolar surface area to volume of parenchyma (Sv) (42.

Distribution of epidermal growth factor receptor and ligands during bronchiolar epithelial repair from naphthalene-induced Clara cell injury in the mouse.

Clara cells are primary targets for metabolically activated pulmonary toxicants because they contain an abundance of the cytochrome P450 monooxygenases required for generation of toxic metabolites. The factors that regulate bronchiolar regeneration after Clara cell injury are not known. Previous studies of naphthalene-induced bronchiolar injury and repair in the mouse have shown that epithelial cell proliferation is maximal 1 to 2 days after injury and complete 4 days after injury.

Non-cultivable microorganisms from symbiotic associations of insects and other hosts.

Many symbiotic associations involve microorganisms which cannot be cultivated on laboratory media. These organisms remained little known until the recent advent of methods of recombinant DNA analysis and molecular phylogenetics. Applications of these methods to endosymbionts have resulted in substantial new insights concerning the genetics and evolution of these organisms.

Biplane transesophageal echocardiography in the normal cat.

Eight healthy, adult cats were examined with biplane transesophageal echocardiography (TEE). Cats were sedated with a combination of diazepam and propofol and were examined using a 5 mm x 80 cm pediatric biplane TEE probe. Consistent images were obtained at three imaging depths within the esophagus.

gamma-Linolenic acid-containing diet attenuates bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis in hamsters.

Although bleomycin (BLM), an antineoplastic drug, is used in the treatment of a variety of tumors, the mechanism(s) that contribute to its induced lung injury and fibrosis are not fully elucidated. Since alterations in the levels of certain fatty acid metabolites have been associated with BLM-induced lung injury, we tested the effects of dietary gamma-linolenic acid (GLA)-containing evening primrose oil on BLM-induced morphological alterations in the hamster lung, the marked elevation of tissue hydroxyproline (a marker for collagen synthesis), and elevated generation of arachidonic acid metabolites (marker of inflammatory mediators). Our data revealed that after 14 d of dietary GLA-containing oil (i) BLM-induced elevation of lung hydroxyproline was suppressed (P < 0.

Endothelin-1 limits increases in blood flow to native and collateral-dependent myocardium.

We hypothesized that blood flow to collateralized and noncollateralized myocardium is improved by antagonism of endothelin (ET) A receptors. Coronary collateral development was stimulated by placing an ameroid constrictor around the left circumflex coronary artery (LCx; collateralized region) in 11 swine. After 35 +/- 2 days, the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD; noncollateralized region) was autoperfused at constant pressure using blood from a femoral artery.

Association of dehydromonocrotaline with rat red blood cells.

The association of radiolabeled monocrotaline pyrrole (DHM) with red blood cell (RBCs) ghosts, globins, and heme was examined to determine their role in the transport and stabilization of this hepatic produced putative toxic metabolite of the pyrrolizidine alkaloid monocrotaline (MCT). Rats were administered 5 mg of DHM/kg, i.v.

Transfection of avian LMH-2A hepatoma cells with cationic lipids.

LMH-2A is an estrogen-responsive avian hepatoma cell line whose susceptibility to cationic-lipid-mediated transfection is poorly described. 3 beta[N-N',N'-dimethylaminoethane)-carbamoyl] cholesterol (DCC) requires a one-step synthesis, and can be used to formulate transfection-grade liposomes when combined with dioleoylphosphatidyl-ethanolamine (DOPE) 1/1 (wt/wt). Luciferase activities in LMH-2A cells were 8.

Magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography characteristics of intracranial intra-arachnoid cysts in 6 dogs.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomographic imaging (CT) characteristics of intracranial intra-arachnoid cysts in six dogs are described. Of the six dogs, three were less than one year of age and 4 were males. Five of the six dogs weighed less than 11 kg.

Short-term inhibition of the Na-H exchanger limits acidosis and reduces ischemic injury in the rat heart.

Introduction: Pharmacologic inhibition of the Na-H exchanger prior to and during ischemia has been shown to protect the ischemic heart by reducing Na-H exchange. However, pH regulation in the ischemic heart is primarily mediated by other pH regulatory mechanisms, such as metabolite efflux and sodium-coupled HCO3-influx, which may compensate for a reduction in Na-H exchange by increasing proton efflux. We hypothesized that short-term pharmacologic inhibition of the Na-H exchanger would result in increases in other compensatory pH regulatory mechanisms and thereby limit acidosis during ischemia and reduce ischemic injury.

The role of T cells in primary biliary cirrhosis.

While fervently studied by several laboratories, the role of T cells in the pathogenesis of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) still remains a mystery. The studies concerning cell phenotype, antigen specificity, and major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-T-cell receptor (TCR) interaction gathered thus far all address important aspects of this intriguing conundrum. However, the lack of an animal model and the genetic diversity of the human population with PBC make this task even more difficult.