The effect of zinc and certain other bivalent metal ions on the isometric tension development of glycerol-extracted muscle fibre bundles.
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Shigella sonnei, an intestinal pathogen, produces a characteristic form I cell surface antigen now known to be plasmid encoded. We considered that the GalE Salmonella typhi Ty21a oral vaccine strain, highly effective against typhoid, might be modified so as to be protective also against shigellosis due to S. sonnei. The plasmid responsible for form I antigen synthesis was therefore conjugally transferred to the galE S. typhi strain. Serological studies revealed that the derivative strain produces the form I antigen in addition to the normal S. typhi somatic antigens. Testing in mice demonstrated that the derivative form I galE S. typhi strain is protective against both S. sonnei and S. typhi challenges. These data suggest that the galE S. Ty21a oral vaccine strain, which presumably stimulates the local immune system in the intestine, may also serve as a useful carrier for other antigenic determinants to protect against different intestinal infections.
Encapsulated cells of Cryptococcus neoformans are potent activators of the alternative complement pathway. Previous studies found that monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) specific for the major capsular polysaccharide, termed glucuronoxylomannan (GXM), can markedly suppress the ability of the capsule to accumulate C3 from normal human serum via the alternative pathway. The present study examined the abilities of F(ab)2 and Fab fragments of three MAbs (MAbs 439, 3C2, and 471) to mediate the suppressive effect. The results showed that F(ab)2 fragments of all three MAbs suppressed activation and binding of C3 via the alternative pathway in a manner similar to that of intact antibodies. In contrast, Fab fragments of MAb 439 and MAb 3C2 showed no suppressive activity, and Fab fragments of MAb 471 were markedly reduced in suppressive activity. Indeed, there was an earlier accumulation of C3 on encapsulated cryptococci in the presence of the Fab fragments. Study of subclass switch families of MAb 439 and MAb 471 found that MAbs of an immunoglobulin G (IgG) subclass with increased flexibility in the hinge region (IgG2b) had less suppressive activity than MAbs of IgG subclasses with less flexibility (IgG1 or IgG2a). Taken together, these results indicate that cross-linking of the capsular matrix is an essential component in suppression of the alternative complement pathway by anti-GXM MAbs.
To provide optimum protection against classical and El Tor biotypes of Vibrio cholerae O1, a single-dose, oral cholera vaccine was developed by combining two live, attenuated vaccine strains, CVD 103-HgR (classical, Inaba) and CVD 111 (El Tor, Ogawa). The vaccines were formulated in a double-chamber sachet; one chamber contained lyophilized bacteria, and the other contained buffer. A total of 170 partially-immune American soldiers stationed in Panama received one of the following five formulations: (a) CVD 103-HgR at 10(8) CFU plus CVD 111 at 10(7) CFU, (b) CVD 103-HgR at 10(8) CFU plus CVD 111 at 10(6) CFU, (c) CVD 103-HgR alone at 10(8) CFU, (d) CVD 111 alone at 10(7) CFU, or (e) inactivated Escherichia coli placebo. Among those who received CVD 111 at the high or low dose either alone or in combination with CVD 103-HgR, 8 of 103 had diarrhea, defined as three or more liquid stools. None of the 32 volunteers who received CVD 103-HgR alone or the 35 placebo recipients had diarrhea. CVD 111 was detected in the stools of 46% of the 103 volunteers who received it. About 65% of all persons who received CVD 103-HgR either alone or in combination had a fourfold rise in Inaba vibriocidal titers. The postvaccination geometric mean titers were comparable among groups, ranging from 450 to 550. Ogawa vibriocidal titers were about twice as high in persons who received CVD 111 as in those who received CVD 103-HgR alone (600 versus 300). The addition of CVD 111 improved the overall seroconversion rate and doubled the serum Ogawa vibriocidal titers, suggesting that the combination of an El Tor and a classical cholera strain is desirable. While CVD 111 was previously found to be well tolerated in semiimmune Peruvians, the adverse effects observed in this study indicate that this strain requires further attenuation before it can be safely used in nonimmune populations.
An invasive strain of Shigella flexneri 2a (SC608) has been developed as a vector for the expression and delivery of heterologous antigens. SC608 is an aspartate semialdehyde dehydrogenase (asd) derivative of SC602 (icsA iuc), a well-characterized live attenuated vaccine strain which has undergone several clinical trials in human volunteers. When administered orally at a single 10(4) (CFU) dose, SC602 is both immunogenic and efficacious against shigellosis. Using asd-based plasmid vectors, we designed SC608 to express the enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) fimbrial subunit CfaB (CFA/I structural subunit) alone or in combination with the E. coli B subunit of heat-labile enterotoxin (LTB). The expression of each heterologous protein in SC608 was verified by immunoblot analysis. Each strain was comparable to the parent strain, SC602, in a HeLa cell invasion assay. After intranasal immunizations of guinea pigs, serum and mucosal immune responses were detected against both Shigella lipopolysaccharide and heterologous ETEC antigens by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and ELISPOT analysis. All immunized animals were subsequently protected against a challenge with wild-type S. flexneri 2a in a keratoconjunctivitis Sereny test. Serum antibodies generated against LTB and CfaB demonstrated antitoxin and agglutination activities, respectively. These results suggest that CfaB and LTB expressed in SC608 retain important conformational epitopes that are required for the generation of antibodies that have functional activities. These initial experiments demonstrate that a fully invasive Shigella vaccine strain can be engineered to deliver antigens from other diarrheal pathogens.
The Salmonella typhi-Shigella sonnei hybrid vaccine strain 5076-IC was constructed to express the S. sonnei form I antigen, which may play an important role in producing protective immunity. Three clonal variants which existed in preparations of the vaccine could be distinguished phenotypically by lactose utilization, S. sonnei form I antigen expression, and restriction enzyme analysis of large plasmid DNA. Since expression of the form I antigen was lost in two of the clonal variants, genetic instability of the 120-MDa vaccine plasmid appeared to be a potential problem. To examine the molecular basis of this genetic instability, we hybridized large plasmid DNA isolated from the clonal variants to a variety of DNA probes encoding virulence-associated antigens and to Escherichia coli lacZ DNA. Results indicated that DNA rearrangement accompanied by deletions of plasmid material occurred in the vaccine plasmid. In addition, the vaccine plasmid did not contain some S. sonnei genetic material encoding antigenic polypeptides necessary for virulence.
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Statistical tests on the distribution of the number of chiasmata per chromosome, collected from literatures, showed that they can be approximated by binomial distributions with one obligatory chiasma, i.e., B(N-1, p). N is proportional to the average number of chiasmata, while p is nearly constant for the species tested.
Effects of liquid paraffin on antibody responses and local adverse reactions after intramuscular injection of oil adjuvanted vaccines containing Newcastle disease (ND) and infectious bronchitis (IB) virus were investigated in chickens. Each vaccine was prepared with a liquid paraffin such as Carnation, Crystol 52 and Lytol. These vaccines induced sustained antibody responses against ND and IB. Among local adverse reactions, Lytol induced granulomatous reactions and abscesses, but Carnation and Crystol 52 did not. The residual weight of liquid paraffin at the injection site decreased in the order Carnation, Crystol 52, Lytol. Crystol 52 was composed of relatively few short-chain hydrocarbons (i.e., n-C20H42). The vaccine with liquid paraffin mainly composed of n-C16H34-n-C20H42 was suggested to induce fewer adverse reactions.
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Human growth hormone (hGH) administered alone revealed itself as a useful drug to prevent ventricular aneurysm formation in experimental myocardial infarctions in rats and is also able to diminish and change the usually expected pattern of wall necrosis. A protective action on the collagen framework of myocytes has been confirmed as one of the main causes responsible for the above mentioned findings. There are other positive metabolic actions on the myocardial cell although not completely known yet. These actions are revealed by an atypical picture of infarction which appears regionally reduced and with a patchy intracellular distribution. In an opposite fashion, when hGH was administered together with beta blockers, a rapid and extensive deleterious action occurred at the ventricular wall, a very high incidence of ventricular aneurysms and an increased extension of myocardial infarcts were the most outstanding features. The histologic picture in this series resembles that of a rapidly evolving diabetic cardiomyopathy.
Lepirudin (Refludan), Berlex Laboratories, USA and Canada; Pharmion, all other countries), a recombinant derivative of the naturally occurring leech anticoagulant hirudin, was the first direct thrombin inhibitor to be approved by the European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products and the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia. Since its introduction into Europe and the USA, it has been studied in over 7000 patients requiring anticoagulation in conditions including acute coronary syndromes, percutaneous coronary intervention, cardiopulmonary bypass and heparin-induced thrombocytopenia. Three European clinical trials, designated Heparin-Associated Thrombocytopenia (HAT)-1, -2 and -3, demonstrated the efficacy and safety of lepirudin in the prevention and treatment of thrombosis in patients with antibody-confirmed heparin-induced thrombocytopenia. A postmarketing, observational study, termed the Drug-Monitoring Program, evaluated lepirudin in over 1000 patients with heparin-induced thrombocytopenia in the setting of routine clinical practice. In the Drug-Monitoring Program, adverse events were substantially reduced compared with clinical trials, while clinical efficacy was maintained; suggesting that insight gained through clinical experience was translated into improved safety. Here, pharmacotherapy using lepirudin is reviewed, with particular reference to clinical studies in heparin-induced thrombocytopenia, and some recommendations based on this extensive clinical experience with lepirudin are provided. Although only approved for the treatment of heparin-induced thrombocytopenia, the use of lepirudin in acute coronary syndromes, percutaneous coronary intervention, vascular surgery and coronary artery bypass grafting is also discussed. The review concludes with a discussion of pharmacokinetic and clinical data supporting the potential for subcutaneous administration of lepirudin.
An expression plasmid (pCFA-1) carrying the cfaB gene that codes for the enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) fimbrial adhesin colonization factor antigen I (CFA/I) subunit was constructed and used to transform a derivative of the attenuated Salmonella typhimurium aroA vaccine strain SL3261 carrying an F'lacIq. Treatment of the transformed strain with isopropyl-beta-D-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG) resulted in elevated in vitro expression of the CFA/I subunit. Although flagellar function and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) synthesis were similar in both the parental and the recombinant strains, spleen colonization was reduced in the recombinant strain. All BALB/c mice parenterally inoculated with the recombinant strain developed significant anti-CFA/I and anti-LPS serum antibody titers (P < 0.05). Moreover, 2 of 5 mice orally inoculated with the engineered Salmonella strain developed anti-CFA/I intestinal IgA (P > 0.05) while 4/5 of the same mice developed anti-LPS IgA (P < 0.05). The results indicate that the vaccine strain elicited an antibody response against the bacterial host both after oral and intravenous immunization while the response against the CFA/I antigen was significant only after inoculation by the intravenous route.