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Biomedical subjects

M R Wilson

Publications and source records attributed to M R Wilson.

At least 181 records · Page 10Linked to original sources

Anomalous behavior of goldfish IgM heavy chain in sodium dodecylsulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.

By sodium dodecylsulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, the heavy chain of the serum immunoglobulin (IgM) of the goldfish (Carassius auratus) differs not only from other studied vertebrate serum IgM heavy chains, but also from other vertebrate lymphocyte membrane IgM heavy chains including those from the goldfish itself. This difference, an increase in apparent Mr of approximately 5000, was investigated by assessing in comparison with the IgM heavy chain of human and rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri) the following properties: (1) molecular size by gel filtration in denaturing buffers; (2) carbohydrate content, by direct analysis; (3) intrinsic net charge, by isoelectric focusing; (4) net hydrophobicity, deduced from amino acid analysis; and (5) sodium dodecylsulfate binding by direct measurement. Results indicate that goldfish IgM heavy chain is indistinguishable from other IgM heavy chains in terms of (a) its gel-filtration behavior in denaturing conditions, (b) its carbohydrate content (which is similar to trout IgM heavy chain) and (c) its intrinsic net charge and hydrophobicity. However, goldfish IgM does differ from the other proteins studied in its detergent-binding ability and it is this behavior that is concluded to be the cause of its unusual mobility in sodium dodecylsulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.

Amino Acids↗

Porcine atrophic rhinitis.

In snouts of pigs from 5 of 8 piggeries in New South Wales examined, there was evidence of severe atrophic rhinitis. In 220 pigs examined from one piggery there was no correlation between the severity of atrophic rhinitis and growth rate or back-fat thickness. There was also no correlation between the extent of lung pathology and back-fat thickness. Pleurisy or pericarditis did cause a significant reduction in growth rate.

Animals↗

The concentrations of copper, zinc, manganese and selenium in the hair of newborn piglets and their dams.

Instrumental neutron activation analysis was employed to determine the levels of certain trace elements in the hair of newborn piglets and their dams. The mean concentrations (mumoles/mg) of copper, zinc, manganese and selenium in the neonatal piglet hair samples were 222 +/- 55, 4940 +/- 1728, 12.7 +/- 17.1 and 8.9 +/- 5.5, respectively, and in sow hair samples the mean concentrations (mumoles/mg) were 156 +/- 22, 5124 +/- 1927, 31.7 +/- 22.2 and 6.5 +/- 3.7, respectively. The mean copper level was higher (p less than 0.05) in piglet hair compared with sow hair. However the mean concentration of manganese was lower (p less than 0.05) in piglet hair. There was no relationship between the trace mineral levels found in the piglets' hair and the dams' hair. The levels of copper, zinc, manganese and selenium found in piglet hair were shown to be unrelated to the piglet body weight. The feasibility of using porcine hair as a practical biopsy material for trace element analysis is discussed.

Animals↗

Piglet blood glutathione peroxidase levels and preweaning mortality.

The blood glutathione peroxidase levels of one day old piglets from 22 litters were examined. Body weight and piglet survival were monitored in order to assess the relationship between these two factors and blood glutathione peroxidase activity. The mean blood glutathione peroxidase level of one day old piglets (65 mu/gHb) was significantly lower (p0.001) than the mean level (85 mu/gHb) at weaning. The mean blood glutathione peroxidase activity of one day old piglets was not related to the size of the litter, but was related (p less than 0.1) to the mean litter blood glutathione peroxidase level at weaning time. Piglet blood glutathione peroxidase was not related to piglet body weight. The blood glutathione peroxidase level of the sows at one-day post-farrowing was not related to the mean blood glutathione peroxidase activity of their litters at one day of age but was correlated (p less than 0.1) with the mean blood glutathione peroxidase levels of their litters at weaning. Piglet viability was shown to be strongly correlated (p less than 0.001) with body weight at one day of age. The blood glutathione peroxidase level of one day old piglets was weakly associated (p less than 0.1) with piglet survival. Further work is required to clarify this latter observation, which suggests that selenium supplementation to newborn piglets may be beneficial regardless of the dams nutritional status.

Animals↗

Hematology and biochemistry reference values for Ontario swine.

The purpose of this study was to establish blood reference values for Ontario swine from various age groups. Weanling pigs, feeder pigs, gilts and sows on 11 randomly selected swine farms were sampled using the orbital sinus bleeding technique. Routine hematological and biochemical determinations were performed using whole blood and serum. For the variables examined in each age group the means, the standard deviations and the 95% upper and lower limits were calculated.

Age Factors↗

A quantitative analysis of special needs with emphasis on speech and hearing in the Boston Public Schools.

The purpose of the study was to develop a demographic profile and to analyze the patterns formed by the primary prototypes and educational goals used to educate public-school children with special needs. The emphasis was on communicative disorders. The study was initiated in order to supplement the limited research which examines the impact and effectiveness of service delivery for special needs (mainstreamed) children. The results indicated that (a) the special needs of the school children were not in close proportion to their racial distribution; (b) the speech and hearing needs were in alignment and in proportion to the racial distribution; (c) the number of children in the school population receiving services was higher than the number found in related studies; and (d) the analyses for goodness-of-fit revealed statistical significance for race and educational goals and prototypes and educational goals. It was also found that the need for special services decreased with age. The findings were discussed in terms of the limitations of the study and implications of the nonlabeling requirements of Massachusetts' Special Education Law.

Black or African American↗

Intravascular fibrinolysis of small-vessel thrombosis.

The effect of intraarterial fibrinolysin infusion on the prevention and treatment of vascular thrombosis in arterial and venous systems of large and small dogs was studied by use of a free groin flap model. Vessel patency and clot lysis after microvascular repair of the superficial caudal epigastric artery and vein were compared in 14 dogs that received prophylactic infusion of fibrinolysin and in 10 control dogs that did not. In 22 additional dogs, after the formation of a standard fibrin clot, arterial infusion of fibrinolysin was performed to determine its therapeutic effect on fibrin clot lysis. The results demonstrate that, after blunt trauma to peripheral vessels in the dog, prophylactic infusion of fibrinolysin has no significant effect on either vessel patency or percentage of local thrombus formation at the anastomatic site. From a therapeutic standpoint, fibrinolysin was effective in fibrin clot lysis in the large vessels (internal diameter 1.8 to 3.0 mm) of 7 of 10 dogs infused within 48 hours after thrombus formation, but was not effective in the small vessels (internal diameter 0.8 to 1.5 mm) of 11 of 12 small dogs with infusion as early as 1 hour after thrombus formation. The therapeutic effectiveness of the fibrinolytic agents to lyse preformed thromboses in small vessels appears doubtful.

Animals↗

The adolescent psychiatric patient with processing deficiencies: some personality characteristics and treatment strategies.

The relationship between perceptual processing and psychiatric conditions is of expanding clinical significance, and the two may be related because of the influence of processing on ego development. Adolescent psychiatric patients with processing difficulties demonstrate some unusual personality characteristics and modes of thought, including a replacement orientation (each event or relationship replaces another) rather than an additive orientation; omnivalence (all interests and relationships have equal attraction), and synecdochism. Special treatment strategies for such patients are suggested, which include: redaction in psychotherapy, a tracking system for scheduling, and reduction of the stimulus level in living arrangements.

Adolescent↗

Method for isolation and determination of pyridostigmine and metabolites in urine and blood.

A procedure is presented for the unique isolation and determination by liquid chromatography of pyridostigmine and its metabolites in urine and blood. Isolation is accomplished by an extension of paired-ion theory using a reversed-phase chromatographic column. The assay of pyridostigmine is linear in concentrations from 40 to 5000 ng/ml. Separation and quantitation of pyridostigmine and metabolites in urine and blood are rapid. An analysis can be performed in 15 min. The method has been applied to the determination of urinary excretion and plasma levels of pyridostigmine administered intramuscularly in rats and to the isolation of acetylcholine, neostigmine, and edrophonium from aqueous solutions.

Animals↗

Interferon production by leukocytes infiltrating the lungs of mice during primary influenza virus infection.

Lung fluids and leukocytes were obtained from unprimed C3H mice by transpleural lavage at intervals after infection with influenza A/Hong Kong/68 virus and were tested for interferon activity. Lavage fluid interferon titers correlated directly with lung virus titers and with initial increases in leukocyte yields from infected lungs. In contrast to cultured lymph node cells from infected animals or leukocytes from lungs of uninfected mice, washed leukocytes obtained from the lungs of mice infected 2 to 6 days earlier produced interferon spontaneously in culture. The physiochemical, biological, and antigenic properties of both the interferon in lavage fluids and that produced by lung lavage leukocytes were similar and characteristics of alpha interferon. Fractionation studies indicated that macrophages and T lymphocytes were primarily responsible for the interferon produced in culture. The early presence and significant numbers of interferon-producing leukocytes in infected lungs suggests that these cells have an early role in defense against influenza virus infection.

Animals↗

An approach to fungal antigen relationships by radioallergosorbent test inhibition.

Antigenic relationships among three species of Aspergillus (A. fumigatus, A. glaucus, and A. flavus) were examined by paired cross-radioallergosorbent test (RAST) inhibition analysis, an in vitro technique based on human IgE antibody specificity. Alternaria tenuis was found to be antigenically unrelated to each of the three species of Aspergillus and was used as a negative control. A single test serum yielded uninhibited RAST indices of 6, 7.4, 8.1, and 7.8 for A. fumigatus, A. glaucus, A. flavus, and Alternaria tenuis, respectively. At a concentration of 10 mg/ml, A. fumigatus inhibited A. glaucus RAST by 63% and A. flavus RAST by 62%. A. glaucus inhibited A. fumigatus RAST by 36% and A. flavus RAST by 63%. A. flavus inhibited A. fumigatus RAST by 44% and A. glaucus RAST by 81%. Each species of Aspergillus produced significant but only partial inhibition of RAST to each of the other two species analyzed. Results indicate the existence of both shared and unique antigens among these three species of Aspergillus. Paired cross-RAST inhibition may be used as an approach to study species relationships among genera of several classes of clinically relevant fungi. Unless many strains are employed, data obtained do not represent a definitive analysis of species, because of possible different degrees of inhibition by various strains of a particular species. They do, however, allow for the antigenic comparison of two or more crude, poorly characterized preparations thought to be important in human allergic disease.

Antibodies↗

The effect of complement depletion on hypersensitivity pneumonitis lesions induced by Micropolyspora faeni antigen.

Animals sensitized by intratracheal administration of particulate Micropolyspora faeni antigen and subsequently challenged with the antigen intratracheally developed lesions of hypersensitivity pneumonitis histologically similar to those observed in man wih this disease. Animals sensitized with antigen but depleted of complement with cobra venom factor prior to challenge with the antigen manifested a significant reduction in mean lesion indices when compared to a group of control animals that were not complement-depleted. These data indicate that complement is necessary for the development of pulmonary lesions of experimental hypersensitivity pneumonitis in the rabbit.

Alveolitis, Extrinsic Allergic↗

Vaccination against pleuropneumonia of pigs caused by Haemophilus pleuropneumoniae.

A strain of Haemophilus pleuropneumoniae was isolated from a pig with pleuropneumonia from a herd where this condition was frequent. A formalin inactivated culture of this isolate was used as antigen in two vaccine preparations: A and B. Vaccine A had peanut oil + arlacel 80 + tween 80 as adjuvant and vaccine B had aluminum hydroxide gel as adjuvant. Twenty pigs were vaccinated twice with vaccine A and 19 with vaccine B. Twenty additional pigs were not vaccinated. All pigs were transferred to the herd. Eleven pigs in the nonvaccinated group developed pneumonia and seven of these died within eight days after exposure. None of the vaccinated pigs had signs of pneumonia. It is concluded that the vaccines prevented the acute form of pleuropneumonia due to H. pleuropneumoniae.

Animals↗

Activation of the alternative complement pathway by extracts of cotton dust.

Extracts of cotton dust were tested for their ability to activate the alternative complement pathway in fresh normal human serum (NHS). Alternative pathway activation was determined by a haemolytic assay utilizing glutathione-sensitized human erythrocytes, consumption of alternative pathway components in terms of alternative pathway CH50 units and an immunoelectrophoretic assay to detect split products of activation of factor B. All assays were performed under conditions that have been shown to block the initial steps of classical pathway activation but permit activation of the alternative complement pathway. Results demonstrate that the cotton dust extracts could consume alternative complement pathway proteins in a dose-response manner. The complement activating factor is probably endotoxin since a cotton dust extract obtained by an extraction method for endotoxin yielded the greatest activity.

Complement Activation↗

Immunogenicity of tobacco smoke components in rabbits and mice.

Several extracts of tobacco leaf and tobacco smoke components were tested for their ability to stimulate and react with antibodies. Two experimental animal models, mice producing reaginic antibody and rabbits producing precipitating antibody, were used in this study. Results indicate that tobacco smoke extracts can stimulate immune responses to tobacco leaf antigens in rabbits and mice. The immunogen is apparently not a product of incineration because air passed through unlit cigarettes clearly extracted the antigenic component.

Animals↗