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Biomedical subjects

R J Gilbert

Publications and source records attributed to R J Gilbert.

At least 109 records · Page 6Linked to original sources
PubMed1984

Pyruvate kinase: a carnitine-regulated site of ATP production in Trypanosoma brucei brucei.

Pyruvate kinase activity in Trypanosoma brucei brucei is stimulated in the presence of L-carnitine and is inhibited by acetyl CoA, ATP or the ATP-Mg2+ complex. Increased pyruvate kinase activity is associated with stimulation of ATP synthesis in the presence of L-carnitine. There is evidence that carnitine stimulates pyruvate kinase activity indirectly by removing the inhibitory modulator acetyl CoA as a result of the carnitine acetyl transferase (CAT) also present in the trypanosomes.

Acetyl Coenzyme A↗
PubMed1983

Bromoacetyl-L-carnitine: biochemical and antitrypanosomal actions against Trypanosoma brucei brucei.

One of the causative agents of the African Trypanosamiases, Trypanosoma brucei brucei is able to use high intracellular carnitine concentrations and a high carnitine acetyl transferase (CAT) activity to stimulate ATP production. This paper reports that a carnitine analogue, bromoacetyl-L-carnitine, is an irreversible inhibitor of CAT from T.brucei, non-competitively inhibits carnitine uptake by T.brucei and has a potent in vitro effect against T.brucei motility and infectivity. An in vivo action in T.brucei infected mice is also reported. These results represent a new area of investigation in the important search for new antitrypanosomal agents.

Acetylcarnitine↗
PubMed1983

Outbreak of Salmonella napoli infection caused by contaminated chocolate bars.

An outbreak of Salmonella napoli infection in England and Wales in 1982 was detected by the surveillance of routine reports of salmonella infections from hospital and public-health laboratories. Epidemiological investigation quickly identified two types of small chocolate-covered bars, imported from Italy, as the vehicles of infection, and subsequently both were found to be contaminated with the organism. The prompt recognition of this outbreak and rapid identification of the vehicle of infection enabled four-fifths of the consignment of contaminated chocolate to be withdrawn from the market. The 245 reported cases resulted from the sale of 600 000 bars; as these were presumably only a small fraction of the total number of cases, it is likely that many thousands of infections were prevented.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

Studies on the growth and survival of Staphylococcus aureus in corned beef.

The growth of an enterotoxin A producing strain of Staphylococcus aureus in corned beef was investigated. In the inoculated 6 lb. canned product the bacteria spread throughout the meat and attained high numbers. The rate of spread of the organisms was related to the temperature and length of storage of the cans and the numbers of bacteria inoculated. Cans which had been stored for more than four months showed high counts of the bacteria throughout the meat. It was noted that with the long term contaminated product counts of S. aureus on some selective media may give falsely low results. Numbers of S. aureus on meat inoculated by handling after removal from the can were initially extremely variable. More uniform distribution and higher counts were attained only if the meat was exposed for some hours at ambient temperature or above. The significance of the results to the investigation of outbreaks of food poisoning suspected of being associated with canned corned beef is discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Studies in rabbits on the disposition and trypanocidal activity of the anti-trypanosomal drug, diminazene aceturate (Berenil).

After intramuscular injection of 3.5 mg kg-1 to rabbits, diminazene aceturate shows biphasic pharmacokinetics with maximum blood and interstitial fluid concentrations occurring after 15 min and 3 h respectively. Seven days after treatment, 40-50% of the dose had been excreted in the urine and 8-20% in faeces. Highest diminazene residues were determined in liver: 7 days after dosage, residues of 40.53 +/- 4.00 micrograms g-1 were present, corresponding to 35-50% of the dose. The recommended dose of 3.5 mg kg-1 was not curative for Trypanosoma congolense infections of rabbit but did cause the parasitaemia to become subpatent. A limited prophylactic effect was observed.

Amidines↗
PubMed1982

Scombrotoxin and scombrotoxin-like poisoning from canned fish.

A number of scombrotoxin poisoning incidents which have recently occurred in the UK following the consumption of canned fish have been investigated. Symptoms are described and the relationship between the histamine content of incriminated samples and toxicity is discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Ethidium bromide: pharmacokinetics and efficacy against trypanosme infections in rabbits and calves.

[14C]ethidium bromide has been used to determine drug levels in tissues and body fluids of rabbits and calves following intramuscular injection. Uninfected and Trypanosoma brucei- or Trypanosoma congolense-infected animals were studied. Blood and tissue fluid level reached a maximum with 1 h and then fell rapidly; after 96 h 80-90% of the radioactivity injected had been excreted, approximately one third in urine and two thirds in faeces. By 1 h after injection of 1 mg [14C]ethidium/kg into a T. congolense-infected calf, 70-80% of the radioactivity in blood was found to be bound to trypanosomes. Doses of 1 or 10 mg/kg were found not to be curative for T congolense or T. brucei infections in rabbits: drug treatment resulted in a period of sub-patent parasitaemia which was always followed by a relapse. Examination of the prophylactic action of ethidium in rabbits showed that the drug extended the pre-patent period following trypanosome inoculation but provided no absolute protection. A period of "apparent' prophylaxis observed after drug treatment of infected rabbits has been correlated with the presence of anti-trypanosome IgG in the serum.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

The potential of bacteriocin typing in the study of Clostridium perfringens food poisoning.

A range of 49 bacteriocins was used to type 311 strains of Clostridium perfringens isolated from food poisoning outbreaks. Strains of same serotype within an outbreak showed similar patterns of susceptibility to bacteriocins, whereas strains of different serotype isolated from different sources produced many variations in bacteriocin susceptibility patterns. The 311 strains, along with isolates from a wide range of sources were screened for their ability to produce bacteriocins. A much greater proportion of the strains from food poisoning outbreaks was bacteriocinogenic than were isolates from human and animal infections, various foods and the environment.

Bacteriocins↗
PubMed1981

Foodborne gastroenteritis of unknown aetiology: a virus infection?

In almost a quarter of outbreaks of gastroenteritis reported to the Public Health Laboratory service by medical officers of environmental health and environmental health officers as possible foodborne infection in 1980 food poisoning organisms were not isolated. In a third of this group the incubation period was longer than the usual range for bacterial food poisoning organisms, and possibly some of the outbreaks were viral in origin. Viruses were detected by electron microsocpy in 88% of faecal specimens from similar outbreaks associated with shellfish but in only 23% of specimens from outbreaks associated with other foods. Recommendations are made for future investigation of such outbreaks including the collection of epidemiological data and specimens for virological study.

Disease Outbreaks↗
PubMed1980

Food poisoning from raw red kidney beans.

The consumption of raw red kidney beans may lead to acute gastroenteritis, which may be severe. The toxic factor is most probably a haemagglutinin that is destroyed by adequate cooking.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

Scombrotoxic fish poisoning: features of the first 50 incidents to be reported in Britain (1976-9).

Fifty incidents of scombrotoxic fish poisoning affecting nearly 200 people have been reported in Britain, the majority in 1979. Increased consumption of mackerel, inadequate storage conditions, and more general clinical recognition of the condition are considered responsible for the rise in outbreaks. Though the illness is generally not serious, it may be alarming and unpleasant and is totally preventable by proper attention to principles of hygiene at all stages of production, distribution, and storage.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

Studies on the heat resistance of Bacillus cereus spores and growth of the organism in boiled rice.

A comparison was made of the heat resistance of Bacillus cereus spores at 95 degrees C. Spores of serotype 1 strains were more resistant than those of the other types tested. However, there was little difference in the growth rate of the various serotypes in boiled rice at 22 degrees C. Most samples of uncooked rice contained multiple serotypes of B. cereus. These results indicate that the cooking procedure used for the preparation of cooked rice is likely to be selective for certain serotypes, and this is the most likely reason why type 1 is the most common serotype implicated in outbreaks of food poisoning and can be isolated from many routine samples of cooked rice.

Bacillus cereus↗