Rapid differentiation of candida dubliniensis from candida albicans by early D-xylose assimilation

To determine if D-xylose [XYL] and/or alpha-methyl-D-glucoside [MDG] assimilation can be used reliably as a rapid test to differentiate Candida dubliniensis from Candida albicans at an earlier time point such as 2 h after inoculation. Thirty isolates of C. albicans and C. dubliniensis recovered from anatomical sites and clinical specimens were used. Isolates were inoculated into the API 20C AUX yeast identification system, and incubated at 30[degree sign]C. XYL and MDG assimilations were read at 2-hour intervals beginning 2 h after the initial inoculation and up to 24 h of incubation; thereafter, results were read after 48 and 72 h. Twenty-nine [97%] C. albicans isolates had assimilated XYL at 16 h and, by 24 h, all isolates were positive for XYL assimilation. None of the C. dubliniensis isolates assimilated XYL. The MDG assimilation revealed that 24, 40, 92 and 100% of C. albicans isolates became positive after 16, 24, 48 and 72 h of incubation, respectively, whereas only 3% of C. dubliniensis isolates assimilated MDG after 72 h. The findings showed that it is possible to rapidly differentiate C. albicans from C. dubliniensis isolates using the API 20C AUX carbohydrate assimilation kits after 16 h of incubation at 30[degree sign] C based on the XYL assimilation

Effects of gamma-rays and glucose analogs on the energy metabolism of a cell line derived from human cerebral glioma.

Effects of gamma-rays and glucose analogs, 2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG), 5-thio-D-glucose (5-TG) and 3-O-methyl glucose (3-O-MG) on cellular energy metabolism have been studied in a cell line, derived from a human cerebral glioma, by analysing intermediates of glycolysis and some important nucleotides (ATP, NAD etc.) using the technique of isotachophoresis. Gamma-irradiation induced a transient decrease in the nucleotide levels accompanied by an accumulation of sugar phosphates, the nucleotide levels recovering in a few hours post-irradiation. 2-DG inhibited glycolysis and reduced the nucleotide levels of irradiated as well as unirradiated cells in a concentration-dependent manner both in presence and absence of respiration, whereas 5-TG and 3-O-MG did not show significant effects in the presence of respiration. Reduced energy status observed with 2-DG under respiratory proficient conditions was completely reversed in 2 hr following its removal, whereas such a recovery was not observed in the absence of respiration. These results have important implications in the energy-linked modifications of tumour radiation response using glucose analogs.