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Biomedical subjects

J R Allen

Publications and source records attributed to J R Allen.

At least 217 records · Page 12Linked to original sources

Acquired resistance to ticks. III. Cobra venom factor and the resistance response.

Guinea-pigs developed resistance to larvae of the ixodid tick, Dermacentor andersoni, after one infestation. Resistant hosts were characterized by allowing significantly fewer larvae to engorge than non-resistant hosts. Larvae engorging on non-resistant hosts had a mean weight six times that of larvae obtained from resistant hosts at the end of a 5-day infestation. This immunologically based resistance was previously shown to have a cell-mediated and a humoral component. In an attempt to ascertain the role of complement in the resistance response, cobra venom factor (CoF) was administered to guinea-pigs producing prolonged (85--95 per cent) depletion of complement titres. CoF was administered during an initial infestation with tick larvae to determine if complement depletion altered the acquisition of tick resistance. CoF was also administered to tick-resistant hosts in an attempt to determine if the expression of tick resistance and the development of the basophil-packed lesion, characteristic of the tick-attachment site in resistant hosts, could be altered by complement depletion. CoF did not alter the acquisition of resistance when complement levels were reduced during a primary infestation. However, complement depletion of an animal which had acquired tick resistance blocked the expression of that resistance during a challenge infestation. In addition to increased numbers and weights of larvae engorging on tick-resistant animals depleted of complement, the basophil packed lesion at the tick attachment site was greatly reduced. Complement plays an important role in the expression of tick resistance in guinea-pigs.

Animals↗

Enterobacter aerogenes primary bacteremia in pediatric patients.

Enterobacter aerogenes bacteremia associated with the infusion of contaminated admixed intravenous (IV) fluid occurred in seven patients in a pediatric hospital over a five-day period. Clinical illness was characterized by spiking fever in all patients. The temporal clustering of cases allowed for rapid recognition of the problem. The primary control measure was the prompt replacement of the IV fluids, although IV antibiotics were also administered. Hospital pharmacy practices for admixing IV solutions should follow published recommendations to minimize this source of potential contamination of fluids.

Child↗

Absorption, tissue distribution and excretion of 14C ethylenethiourea by the rhesus monkey and rat.

Two female rhesus monkeys and four Sprague-Dawley rats were give 14C ethylenethiourea by gastric intubation and the rate of excretion was evaluated for 48 hours. The animals were subsequently sacrificed and the tissue distribution of 14C determined. The major route of 14C excretion was by way of the urine with 47 and 64% of the total radioactivity in the monkey urine and an average of 82% in the rat urine. The feces accounted for less than 1.5% of the radioactivity in both animal species. Tissue distribution accounted for 21 and 28% of the administered 14C in the monkey, while less than 1% was located in the rat tissues. The skin and musculature contained the largest amount of radioactivity in both species.

Animals↗

Scotopic vision deficits in young monkeys exposed to lead.

Rhesus monkeys were reared on diets designed to produce blood lead concentrations of 14 (untreated), 55, or 85 micrograms per 100 milliliters for the first year of life. Eighteen months later, blood lead levels were normal in all animals. At this time, however, visual discrimination performance in the 85-microgram group was impaired under dim light relative both to their own performance under bright light and to the performance of the other groups under all light levels used. We interpret these results to reflect a deleterious, enduring impairment of scotopic visual function (night blindness) as a result of early lead intoxication.

Animals↗

The sequelae of group B beta-hemolytic streptococcal meningitis in early infancy.

The group B beta-hemolytic streptococcus is responsible for an escalating frequency of neonatal meningitis. Of the 18 consecutive cases we report in this study, the mortality was 17%. Among the 15 survivors, there were two children with extensive neurological and psychological impairment. There were no major differences between the survivors and controls in tests of hearing and language function, social skills, and psychological testing. There was a greater number of minor neurological signs among the study group. The mortality and morbidity of group B beta-hemolytic streptococcal meningitis is apparently substantially less than that of all other types of neonatal bacterial meningitis.

Bender-Gestalt Test↗

Teratogenicity studies on late blighted potatoes in nonhuman primates (Macaca mulatta and Saguinus labiatus).

Female rhesus monkeys and marmosets were fed a diet containing blighted potatoes (Phytophthora infestans) at a level of 10g/kg per day for at least two weeks prior to breeding and six weeks following conception in order to gain additional information on the association of blighted potatoes and the development of anencephaly and spina bifida in primate species. There was an absence of either of these neural-tube defects in 32 rhesus and 14 marmoset infants whose mothers had received a blighted potato diet. In addition there were no cranial osseous defects. There were, however, two rhesus monkey infants with internal hydrocephalus whose mothers had consumed blighted potatoes.

Anencephaly↗

Total hip replacement in the previously infected hip.

Ten patients with a history of previous hip joint sepsis including one with active tuberculosis of the hip have had total hip replacement using acrylic cement. With duration of follow-up ranging from six months to over three years, all but one have had satisfactory results with no evidence of persistent or recurrent infection. When preceded by thorough evaluation and eradication of hip sepsis, total hip arthroplasty appears to be an acceptable procedure for restoring a functional hip joint in patients with this difficult problem.

Adult↗

Histology of bovine skin reactions to Ixodes holocyclus Neumann.

The histology of skin responses to infestations with female Ixodes holocyclus ticks was investigated in naive and previously infested cattle. In the latter hosts, infiltration of the skin site with basophil leucocytes was an early event. Concurrent spongiosis and vesiculation occurred in the epidermis adjacent to the tick mouthparts. This was followed by infiltration of the upper dermis by eosinophils and other leukocytes. Such reactions were evident one hour after attachment of ticks in hosts which had received two prior infestations. Pronounced epidermal vesiculation and bulla formation with eventual serous exudation followed in previously infested cattle, leading to entrapment of ticks.

Animals↗

3,4,3',4'-tetrachloroazobenzene: a potential environmental toxicant.

3,4,3',4'-tetrachloroazobenzene (TCAB), a potential environmental toxicant formed in the industrial manufacturing and the microbial degradation of chloroanilide herbicides, has been prepared in 87% yield by an improved procedure. In vitro experiments with C3H/10T1/2 cells have shown that TCAB is toxic to mammalian cells, which may be correlated with observable cytological changes. TCAB has also been found to be weakly mutagenic by the Salmonella/microsome test. In addition, C3H/10T1/2 cells are transformed following a ten day incubation with TCAB. These data suggest the potential health hazard associated with the environmental occurrence of TCAB.

Animals↗

Covalent interaction of dehydroretronecine, a carcinogenic metabolite of the pyrrolizidine alkaloid monocrotaline, with cysteine and glutathione.

The covalent interaction of dehydroretronecine, a carcinogenic metabolite of the pyrrolizidine alkaloid monocrotaline, with cysteine and glutathione, has been investigated. Dehydroretronecine was allowed to react with cysteine and glutathione in an in vitro system of phosphate buffer solutions. The reaction products were identified structurally by chromatographic, nuclear magnetic resonance, infrared, ultraviolet, and mass-spectral analysis. These data indicate that the reaction products are the sulfhydryl-linked 7-thiocysteine-dehydroretronecine and 7-thioglutathione-dehydroretronecine. Active alkylation of sulfhydryl groups is a possible mechanism by which these alkaloids interact with cellular components.

Alkylation↗

Chromosomal localizations by in situ hybridization of the repetitious human DNA families and evidence of their satellite DNA equivalents.

Four of the five major repetitious human DNA families have been mapped by the in situ hybridization technique at their TOPT values. Two of the lighter density DNA families have autoradiographic grain patterns over heterochromatic chromosomal regions that resemble those of known satellite DNAs. The two heaviest density DNA families have autoradiographic grain patterns of middle repetitious DNAs, with all chromosomes showing labelling. Some evidence suggests that one of these DNA families is concentrated in certain chromosomal regions. Both DNA families exhibit biphasic TOPT curves. The presence of two thermal stability classes of hybrids suggests sequence interspersion. By co-enrichment studies in Ag+-CS2SO4 gradients, evidence suggests the origin of the three lightest density renaturated human DNA families to be satellites I, II and III.

Base Sequence↗

Characterization of the repetitious human DNA families.

Human DNA isolated from HeLa cells or human placental tissue has been fractionated on hydroxyapatite at COt 1.0. The 25% of total DNA isolated at COt 1.0 is composed of 3% foldback DNA and 22% which renatures by second-order kinetics and can be resolved into five renatured DNA families banding at distinct densities in CsC1 gradients. The individual renatured DNA families were isolated and their physical properties including reassociation kinetics determined. A two-component kinetic analysis was used to resolve kinetic heterogeneity. The three lightest density DNA families possess satellite DNA-like properties. The two heaviest density DNA families were shown to contain reassociated highly repetitious DNA as well as single-stranded, middle-repetitious DNA sequences, suggesting interspersion. The middle repetitious DNA sequences are thought to be related in these two DNA families.

Base Sequence↗

Localisation and tissue effects of tritiated dehydroretronecine in young rats.

Sixteen male Spraque-Dawley rats were injected with 3H-dehydroretronecine. The rats were subsequently evaluated for gross and microscopic changes. Scintillation counts and autoradiographic studies of the various organs demonstrated that the pyrrole accumulates in organs which were shown here and by others (Peterson et al; Allen and Hsu) to be affected most severely by dehydroretronecine and dehydroheliotridine. In the present experiment 3H-dehydroretronecine was shown to decrease the growth rate of the rats, decrease the percentage of circulating neutrophils and alter the hepatic mitotic index. Histologically, accumulations of label were seen in the glandular region of the stomach, in the liver, in Huxley's and Henle's layers of the hair follicles and in the epithelial cells lining the convoluted tubules of the kidney. Scintillation counts on the various tissues and autoradiographic evaluations of tissue sections indicate that there is a preferential localisation of radioactivity in the gastric mucosa which is postulated to be related to the pH in this area.

Animals↗