The intestinal phase of experimental trichinellosis in CBA mice and Wistar rats is modified by the intraduodenal injection of prostaglandin (PG) E1 and, to a greater extent by PG E2. The resulting changes are dose-dependent and are a function of the point of the infectious cycle at which the injection is performed. Three dose-related phenomena are thus observable: a delay, an acceleration of the process of expulsion of adult worms or no effect, the latter arising if the prostaglandins are injected later in the cycle. Under the same conditions, no significant effects are exerted by PG A, B or F, by histamine or by serotonin.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Kinetic study of antifungal activity of amphotericin B, 5-fluorocytosine and ketoconazole against clinical yeast isolates using liquid-phase turbidimetry.

The fungal growth of clinical yeast isolates and of VW32 clone of Candida albicans were measured in vitro using a liquid-phase turbidimetric system (Bioscreen from Labsystems, France) in defined conditions. Cultures were performed in Shadomy's liquid medium and the fungal growth automatically evaluated every 10 minutes for 24 hours using various concentrations of drugs. The system made it possible to test 200 culture samples in one experiment. Yeast sensitivity to drugs was also measured by using our routine semi-automatic turbidimetric system. We observed that kinetic patterns of activity of each antifungal agent were typical. The in vitro tests showed that of 927 clinical yeast isolates 99.2% were sensitive to amphotericin B, 94.4% to 5-fluorocytosine and 69.7% to ketoconazole.

Amphotericin B↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Ultrastructural study of host-parasite relationships in epidermis during "Trichophyton mentagrophytes" infection (author's transl)].

This study presents information concerning (1) location of fungal cells within the tissue, (2) subsequent tissue alterations and (3) behaviour of immunocompetent cells. 1) During initiation of infection, the fungal cells were found to be intracellular in the lower parts of stratum corneum. Digestion of intracellular keratin is obvious, but the resistant cell wall of the squames remain unaltered. During reinfection fungal cells were located intercellulary in the upper parts of stratum corneum. 2) The study of ultrastructural changes in the underlying viable parts of epidermis reveals many alterations of keratinocytes such as mitochondrial damage, lost of tonofilaments, vacuolization, and rupture of cytoplasmic bonds. The epidermal cells are disjoined by an oedematous reaction, and these manifestations may involve large epidermic areas. 3) Cells, arising from the dermis, move into the intercellular spaces that originate from epidermal cellular dissociation. These cells are interpretated as corresponding mainly to lymphocytes, monocytes and macrophages. This cellular infiltration is intense. Most of the lymphocytes and macrophages are activated (even giant cells are to be observed). In addition, some of these cells may reach the stratum corneum, the area of parasitic location. The relationships between these manifestations and those related to cutaneous delayed hypersensitivity reactions are discussed. It seems possible to demonstrate the immunopathologic status of the reaction where some specific immunological manifestations appear to be related to the fungal growth acting in a special way by antigenic stimulation.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Advantages of the Errecart's technique for the identification of Plasmodium (author's transl)].

Errecart (1945) proposed a modified technique for making thick films for the diagnosis of Chaga's disease. We applied his technique to the study of malaria in mammals; the morphology of the blood parasites is very well preserved and allows the identification of species which are frequently not identifiable in ordinary thick films.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Enzymatic and serologic study of human trichinosis. Apropos of a recent epidemic in a suburb south of Paris].

An enzymatic and immunologic study of 18 patients with trichinosis leads to the following conclusions: The stage of muscular invasion in trichinosis is accompanied by a release of cellular enzymes representative of striated muscle fibres in nearly all the cases. This release can be observed by a study of the LDH iso-enzymes at a time when immunological techniques are not always significantly positive. The specific aspect of this phenomenon can be proposed with reservations since there does not exist any interference with other enzymatic systems such as the gamma-GT and furthermore no other evident cause of muscular lysis is present. The existence of a blood hypereosinophilia completes the biological picture. These early modifications of the enzymatic activities are most probably transient.

Alanine Transaminase↗