Study on long-term biological variability of erythrocyte sedimentation rate

Thanks to progress in serologic techniques evidence was obtained in 1980 showing that acute hepatitis epidemics observed in India were due to neither virus A nor virus B. The presence of another virus was confirmed and its genome was cloned and sequenced in 1991. Hepatitis virus E is a small RNA virus that differs from other known human viruses. Man and probably a few animal species maintain dissemination by the fecal route. Subjects not previously contaminated are susceptible and produce protective antibodies. Contamination occurs by the fecal-oral route general from water or tainted food. Direct contamination is rare. Vertical transmission from mother to fetus can also be observed. Outbreaks of the disease are characterized by epidemic proportions, preferential involvement of adolescent and young adults, and high incidence of fulminant cases especially in pregnant women. Outbreaks have been observed in endemic settings in southern Asia, Africa, and Mexico where sporadic cases are observed. Endemic areas are found in all developing countries. Hepatitis E is not clinically different from other acute viral hepatitis. Asymptomatic forms are common especially in children. The course of the disease is usually benign with little risk of development of chronic symptoms and cirrhosis. However hepatitis E is associated with a high incidence of severe cases with a mortality of 1 to 2% from icteric forms which occur in 15 to 20% of cases involving women contaminated during the last three months of pregnancy. Diagnosis can be made using either synthetic proteins or recombinant peptides. for the epitopes of the virus. Prevention depends on protection of the water supply and proper sewage disposal. Successful active immunization of monkeys holds promise for development of a vaccine. Due to its magnitude and high mortality rate hepatitis E is a major health problem for numerous regions around the world including Southeast Asia.     

A preliminary report on the antiarrhythmic action of some newly synthesized glutarimide compounds

The effects of a new series of glutarimide compounds have been studied in acetylcholine induced auricular fibrillation in anaesthetized cats and epinephrine induced ventricular arrhythmmias in conscious pigeons. Some of the compounds showed varying degree of protective action against experimental arrhythmias. However these compounds were found to be less potent than quinidine. The mechanism of antiarrhythmic action has been discussed.     

Nephrotoxicity of cephalosporin-gentamicin combinations in rats

TO STUDY THE POSSIBILITY THAT CEPHALOSPORINS AUGMENT THE NEPHROTOXICITY OF GENTAMICIN, GROUPS OF RATS WERE GIVEN FOUR HOURLY SUBCUTANEOUS DOSES OF: gentamicin (5 mg/kg), gentamicin plus cephalothin (100 mg/kg), gentamicin plus cefazolin (20 mg/kg), gentamicin plus cefazolin (50 mg/kg), gentamicin plus cephaloridine (50 mg/kg), or saline diluent for 15 days. Periodic measurements were made of urine volume, urine osmolality, urine protein excretion and lysosomal enzymuria, as well as blood urea nitrogen, creatinine clearance, and drug concentrations in renal cortex and medulla. Tissue was examined by light and electron microscopy. Enzymuria and proteinuria increased early in the course of all treatment groups, whereas urine osmolality declined. No distinct patterns of these variables were discernable among the groups. Gentamicin alone, gentamicin plus cephalothin, and gentamicin plus cefazolin (20 mg/kg) caused the same significant fall in glomerular filtrate rate from control values by day 15 (P < 0.05). Gentamicin plus cefazolin (50 mg/kg) and gentamicin plus cephaloridine failed to cause a decline in glomerular filtration rate compared with controls (P > 0.05). Gentamicin concentrations in renal cortex were 5 to 10 times higher than those in medulla in all groups. Cephaloridine and cefazolin (50 mg/kg) also displayed a gradient pattern in renal cortex, whereas cephalothin and cefazolin (20 mg/kg) did not. Cytosegrosomes with myeloid figures were characteristic ultra-structural changes seen in all groups; however, they tended to be smaller with less numerous myeloid bodies in the groups receiving gentamicin plus cephalothin, cefazolin (50 mg/kg), or cephaloridine. Cephalosporins did not augment gentamicin toxicity. High doses of cefazolin and cephaloridine protected kidneys from gentamicin nephrotoxicity. The protection may involve intracellular drug interaction within the renal cortex.     

Oxygen consumption by suspensions of Bacillus anthracoides spores

The respiration rate of spore suspensions of Bacillus anthracoides 96 was assayed by mass spectrometry employing a hermetically sealed reaction vessel constructed for this purpose. The rate of respiration was found to depend on the method of preparing suspensions, the duration of their storage at +4 degrees C, the physiological state of spores, and the action of a disinfectant containing chlorine on them.