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In 2 women with distal renal tubular acidosis and osteomalacia, alkali treatment cured the bone disease and was accompanied by marked increases in the serum 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D concentration, without a significant change in the 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration.
Myocardial cell pH has been measured with 5,5-dimethyl-2,4-oxazolidinedione (DMO) in intact anesthetized dogs by a transient indicator dilution technique. Bolus injections of labeled DMO, vascular, extracellular, and water indicators were made into the anterior descending coronary artery, and blood samples were collected from the great cardiac vein. The steady-state distribution of DMO between cells and plasma was calculated from the indicator mean transit times, and the plasma pH. Myocardial cell pH was determined from the distribution value and plasma pH. Normal myocardial cell pH averaged 6.94. Changes in myocardial cell pH after infusions of acid or alkali. Myocardial ischemia induced by inflation of a coronary artery balloon resulted in progressive decreases in cellular pH to average values of 6.83 within the initial 15 min and to 6.59 within the interval between 20 and 70 min. Infusions of Na2CO3 tended to diminish intracellular acidosis although these infusions had little effect on the difference in pH between the myocardial cell and extracellular fluid.
PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of topical allopurinol on experimental corneal burns and to compare this to established treatment modalities such as topical prednisolone and acetylcysteine. METHODS: Twenty Wistar rats were randomly assigned to four groups (n=5 each). The groups were controls (normal saline), allopurinol 0.4% eye drops, prednisolone acetate 1% eye drops and acetylcysteine 8% eyedrops. Corneal burn was induced using a 3 mm paper disc soaked in 1N NaOH for 60 seconds. Drops were instilled 6 times per day. In addition, one drop/day ofloxacine was given to prevent secondary infections. Eyes were enucleated 50 hours later and fixed in 4.5% formaldehyde. Three histological levels of each globe were stained with hematoxylin-eosin and examined by two independent masked investigators using a 0 to 4+ inflammatory score. All pair-wise multiple comparison procedures (Student-Newman-Keuls method) were applied for statistical work-up. RESULTS: All three substances significantly reduced the number of histologically visible inflammatory cells compared to the control group (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In the present study, topical allopurinol was as effective as established drugs, namely steroids and acetylcysteine, in the early treatment of experimental alkali corneal burns.
The biological treatment of wastewater discharged from a biodiesel fuel (BDF) production plant conducting alkali catalysis transesterification was investigated. BDF wastewater has a high pH and high hexane-extracted oil and low nitrogen concentrations, and inhibits the growth of microorganisms. The biological treatment of BDF wastewater is difficult because the composition of such wastewater is not suitable for microbial growth. To apply the microbiological treatment of BDF wastewater using an oil degradable yeast, Rhodotorula mucilaginosa, the pH was adjusted to 6.8 and several nutrients such as a nitrogen source (ammonium sulfate, ammonium chloride or urea), yeast extract, KH2PO4 and MgSO4.7H2O were added to the wastewater. The optimal initial concentration of yeast extract was 1 g/l and the optimal C/N ratio was between 17 and 68 when using urea as a nitrogen source. A growth inhibitor was also present in the BDF wastewater, and this growth inhibitor could be detected by measuring the solid content in an aqueous phase after the hexane extraction of the wastewater. Microorganisms could not grow at solid contents higher than 2.14 g/l in the wastewater. To avoid the growth inhibition, the BDF wastewater was diluted with the same volume of water. Oil degradation in the diluted BDF wastewater was observed and the best result was obtained under the determined optimal conditions. This treatment system is simple because no controllers, except for a temperature, are necessary. These results suggest that the biological treatment system developed for BDF wastewater is useful for small-scale BDF production plants.
The nucleotide sequence of the pectate lyase gene (pe lK) from alkali-tolerant Bacillus sp. was identified and analyzed. A 1,260-base pair open reading frame for the pe lK gene was observed and encoded for a protein of 420 amino acids. The signal peptide was composed of 21 amino acid residues. In the deduced primary structure of this enzyme, the three conserved regions of several pectate lyases were found and showed high homologies.
An alkali-sensitive mutant, 18224, of the alkaliphilic Bacillus sp. strain C-125 was characterized. The nucleotide sequence of the PvuI-NlaIV DNA fragment that recovers the alkaliphily of 18224 has been cloned from the mutant and sequenced. Comparison of the nucleotide sequences of the corresponding regions found a G to A substitution in the mutant. The mutation resulted in an amino acid substitution from 82Gly to Glu of the putative ORF3 product, which consisted a gene cluster of at least four tandemly located open reading frames. The ORF3 product was deduced to be an 112 amino acid polypeptide with hydrophobic properties, which was expressed using an in vitro translation system.
The taste responses to five alkali metal salts of warfarin, aqueous rodenticides, in laboratory mice were observed at a short measurement time of 20 min by the two-bottle preference test using a licking time monitoring system newly developed. It was made clear that the order of taste avoidance to the warfarin salts was as follows: cesium salt > rubidium salt > lithium salt > sodium salt > potassium salt. The relationship between the hydrophobicity of the warfarin salts and the effectiveness of the taste avoidance was analyzed. The effectiveness of the taste avoidance largely depended on the hydrophobicity.
A catalase gene, ohktA, from an alkali- and halo-tolerant bacterium, Halomonas sp. SK1, on the pKK223-3, was expressed in the catalase-lacking Escherichia coli strain UM2. Highly purified catalase showing a single band on SDS-PAGE was obtained by two liquid chromatography steps on DEAE-Toyopear1 and Chelating-Sepharose Fast Flow. The enzyme, oHktA, shows high catalase activity with a pH optimum at 10, and the activity was stable in 4 M KC1. This enzyme is thermo-sensitive, showing a significant loss of activity within 5 minutes at 37 degrees C. To modify the stability of the catalase, the addition of domain II of the heat stable Mn catalase from Thermus thermophilus to the C-terminus was made. When coexpressed with a chaperone (PhFKBP29) gene product, peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase, from a thermophilic bacterium, a chimeric catalase was produced in the soluble fraction. The stability of this catalase in the range of 37 degrees -45 degrees C was improved and it was stable for more than 1 h at 37 degrees C.
It has been recognized that ionized alkali mineral complex (IAMC)-fed farm animals demonstrate higher weight gains but less incidence of diseases than the unfed ones. However, how these beneficial effects in the IAMC-fed animals are induced has not yet been elucidated clearly. In this study, porcine peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were cultured for 4, 24, and 48 hr in the presence of IAMC, and the effects of IAMC on mRNA expression of porcine cytokines were evaluated via a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Expression levels of IL-4, IL-6, and IL-10 in IAMC-treated cells were usually higher than those in the untreated ones. However, IAMC-treated cells demonstrated a reduced expression of IL-2. In addition, expression of IFN-gamma was generally reduced in the cells treated with IAMC. The expression of IL-12 p35 and IL-12 p40 was not detectable in both the untreated and the IAMC-treated cells. Therefore, these results indicate that IAMC has immunomodulatory effects in vitro on the expression of porcine Th1-and Th2-type cytokines.
When chlorella was treated with alkali after decolorization by methyl alcohol and then fractionated by gel filtration, the fraction showed a depressive effect. The blood pressure of SHRSP and SHR showed a fall of an average of 63 mmHG 1 hour after intravenous administration, 47 MMHg 2 hours after intraperitoneal administration. The blood pressure of normotensive Wistar rats also showed a fall of an average of 32 mmHg 1 hour after intravenous administration.
On irradiation at UVB wavelengths, in aerated neutral aqueous solution, the anti-inflammatory drug suprofen (SP) photosensitizes the production of alkali-labile cleavage sites in DNA much more efficiently than direct strand breaks. It is active at submillimolar concentrations despite having no significant binding affinity for DNA. Gel sequencing studies utilizing 32P-end-labeled oligonucleotides have revealed that piperidine-sensitive lesions are formed predominantly at the positions of guanine (G) bases, with the extent of modification being UV dose- and SP concentration-dependent. Quite distinct patterns of G-specific damage are observed in single-stranded and duplex DNA molecules. The uniform attack at all G residues in single-stranded DNA, which is enhanced in D2O, is compatible with a Type-II mechanism. SP is a known generator of singlet oxygen whose participation in the reaction is supported by the effects of quenchers and scavengers. In duplex DNA, piperidine-induced cleavage occurs with high selectivity at the 5'-G of GG and (less prominently) GA doublets. This behavior is characteristic of a Type-I process involving electron transfer from DNA to photoexcited SP molecules. The ability of SP to sensitize the formation of Type-I and Type-II photo-oxidation products from 2'-deoxyguanosine attests to the feasibility of competing mechanisms in DNA.
Mercury (Hg) fractionation, speciation, bioavailability, and ecotoxicity were investigated in three highly contaminated soils from chlor-alkali plants. Single extractions and a validated four-step sequential extraction scheme were used. Total, volatile, and methyl-Hg concentrations were determined. Mercury was then separated in fractions defined as water-soluble (F1), exchangeable (F2), organic (F3), and residual (F4). Germination and growth inhibition of barley (Hordeum vulgare) and mortality of earthworms (Eisenia andrei) were assessed, and tissue-Hg concentrations of exposed organisms were determined. Results revealed highly (295 +/- 18-11,500 +/- 500 microg Hg/g) contaminated soils, but extracted fractions indicated relatively low mobility of Hg. Nevertheless, the water-soluble and the CaCl2-extractable fractions represented significant Hg concentrations (299 +/- 18 microg/g in soil 3, 67.4 +/- 2.3 microg/g in soil 1, and 9.5 +/- 0.3 microg/g in soil 2), and volatile Hg ranged between 14 and 98% of total Hg. Overall, Hg concentrations reached 6,560 +/- 240 microg/g in roots, 4,200 +/- 1,070 microg/g in aerial plants, and 1,410 +/- 120 microg/g in E. andrei. Earthworm mortality was 100% after exposure to the soil with the highest concentration of mobile Hg. In the latter soil, earthworm fragmentation and chlorotic plants were observed. Bioconcentration factors (BCFs) were higher in barley compared to earthworms, but BCFs yielded misleading values after exposure to the extremely contaminated soil. This study shows that Hg accumulated primarily in the roots, but results also indicate uptake of gaseous Hg by the aerial plants of barley. Tissue-Hg concentrations of both exposed organisms were correlated with water-soluble and CaCl2-extractable Hg, and growth inhibition was in agreement with Hg fractionation.
Soybean meal (SBM) was treated with acid or alkali to determine effects on N solubility, in vitro NH3-N accumulation, in situ N degradability, and N digestion and retention in growing lambs. The following SBM treatments resulted in decreased (P less than .05) N solubility and in vitro NH3-N accumulation compared with control SBM: spraying with 2.5 or 5% acetic or propionic acid, soaking in .5 N HCl, .5 N NaOH or .5 N propionic acid followed by air drying, and soaking in H2O, .5 N HCl or .5 N propionic acid followed by drying at 100 C. In situ residual N was determined for SBM subjected to the above treatments. Soybean meal sprayed with 2.5 or 5% acetic or propionic acid had greater (P less than .05) in situ residual N after 4, 8 and 12 h of incubation than control SBM. Soybean meal soaked in .5 N HCl or .5 N NaOH and air-dried, and soaked in H2O, .5 N propionic acid or .5 N HCl and dried at 100 C had greater (P less than .05) in situ residual N after 4, 8, 12 and 24 h of incubation than control SBM. In a lamb N balance trial, SBM treated by spraying with 5% acetic or propionic acid or by soaking in .5 N NaOH did not result in reduced N digestion compared to control SBM. Feeding SBM soaked in .5 N NaOH resulted in a 39% increase (P less than .05) in N retention compared with control SBM (5.21 vs 3.74 g/d, respectively).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Rats treated with alkali metal chlorides (2 mmol/kg, injected intraperitoneally) were tested for exploratory behaviour in a situation where exploration was indicated by reduced ambulatory activity. Lithium chloride significantly reduced exploration and increased ambulation as compared to sodium chloride treated control rats. Whilst rubidium chloride had similar effects to those produced by the lithium salt, these failed to reach statistical significance. The findings are discussed in the light of two hypotheses, namely that lithium attenuates the central processing of sensory information, and that rubidium acts as a nonspecific stimulant of activity.
Cytochrome oxidase (CO) activity on alkali-burned rabbit corneas was investigated histochemically to determine the metabolic change in inflamed corneas during wound healing. Cryostat sections of chemically burned and mechanically scraped corneas were stained for CO activity, which is regarded as an index of metabolic activity. Following chemical injury, positive CO activity was detected initially in the vascular endothelial cells of limbal blood vessels. Numerous active polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) and monocytes were found intravascularly and perivascularly. Fibroblasts that appeared at the wound site exhibited marked CO activity around the limbus. Over a period of 13 days, PMNs gradually invaded the central cornea, followed by fibroblasts of high metabolic activity. The areas of PMN infiltration were the same areas in which fibroblasts showed intense staining, suggesting that a PMN-derived mediator or secondary products might affect the activation of fibroblasts. Epithelial resurfacing was delayed in the chemically burned corneas, although reepithelialization was completed within two to three days in the scraped corneas. Limbal epithelial cells, which recently were suggested as the source of epithelial renewal, showed a remarkable increase of metabolic activity in response to chemical inflammatory stimulation, whereas those in the scraped model did not. This suggests that epithelial cell renewal at the limbus was accelerated in the presence of disturbed reepithelialization.
Depolymerization of Ch-4-S, Ch-6-S, HA and HP was observed by gel filtration after treatment with 2-10 N NaOH or Ba(OH)2 in the presence of NaBH4 at 80-83 degrees for 1-5 hr. Depolymerized products were isolated after these treatments. 4-Deoxy-alpha-L-threo-4-enohexopyranosyluronic acid residue as the nonreducing end group was demonstrated by the H-1 and H-4 proton signals in the NMR spectra and by the absorption at 225-230 nm. L-Gulonic acid, which was produced from D-glucuronic acid by the action of NaBH4, was detected as the reducing end group in the depolymerized products of Ch-6-S, but no hexosaminitol was detected. De-N-acetylation to the extent of 34-50% occurred after treatment with 2.5 N NaOH in the presence of NaBH4, and almost complete de-N-acetylation accompanied by considerable destruction was observed with Ch-4-S and Ch-6-S after treatment with 5.5-10.0 N NaOH. A reaction mechanism is proposed for the depolymerization of glycosaminoglycuronans by the action of alkali.
The phosphorylation of mixed casein by casein kinase II shows resistance on beta casein after partial alkali hydrolysis of the proteins separated by gel electrophoresis. This property is specific for casein kinase II among the protein kinases tested and can be used for casein kinase II detection in biological extracts and for characterization of purified casein kinase II.
Kinetics for the parallel and consecutive steps of the reactions of 5-bromocytidine, 5-bromouridine and its 5'-O-methyl and 2',3'-O-isopropylidene derivatives with aqueous alkalies were studied by LC. The mechanisms of the partial reactions involved are discussed.