Effect of dietary canthaxanthin and iodine on the production performance and egg quality of laying hens.

In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of canthaxanthin (CX) and iodine (I) on the production of laying hens, on counteracting debilitation of the vitelline membrane, and on inhibiting Salmonella growth in eggs stored at 30°C. Three hundred hens were reared in cages. Birds were divided into six feeding groups (10 hens × 5 repetitions) that were administered 0, 3 or 6 ppm of CX and 1 or 10 ppm of I with their diets. Laying rate, egg weights, and feed conversion ratios were controlled. The quality of fresh eggs was assessed in wks 25-26, 48-50 and 62-63 of hens lives. An additional batch of eggs was incubated at the temperature of 30°C, and egg quality changes were monitored on days 3, 6 and 9 of storage. Additionally, eggs collected from four experimental groups of hens whose diets had been iodated with 1 or 10 ppm of I and supplemented with 0 or 6 ppm of CX were infected under laboratory conditions with Salmonella, and incubated for 5 and 10 d. The laying rate, egg weights, and feed conversion ratio were significantly improved. Dietary inclusion of CX contributed to a higher resistance of the vitelline membrane of egg yolks, but only for fresh eggs. Vitelline membrane degradation during egg storage at 30°C was significantly counteracted by dietary inclusion of I at a dose of 10 ppm. The same I dose resulted in the complete inhibition of Salmonella growth until day 10 of incubation, but exclusively for eggs collected from 40-week-old hens. Dietary supplementation with 10 ppm of I was found to impart high level of resistance to the vitelline membrane against the growth of Salmonella in case of eggs stored at 30°C; therefore, I was found to be more beneficial by ensuring longer preservation than that of CX. However, dietary supplementation with CX was found to increase the resistance of vitelline membrane in fresh eggs.

Expression of CD20 on acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells in children.

CD20 determinant expressed on B precursors is associated with regulation of proliferation, apoptosis and maturation of these cells. The acute lymphoblastic leukemia "common" type (cALL) based on expression of CD20 is subdivided in type I and II. However, the clinical significance of CD20 expression on cALL and significance of cALL type I and II discernment are not fully elucidated. The association of CD20 expression with the expression of multidrug resistance molecule (MDR), CD34, atypical immunophenotypes of leukemia cells and response to induction therapy were determined in the group of 147 patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) B progenitor type (ALL-proB -14 patients) and common type (cALL-133 patients). The expression of CD20 on leukemia cells was studied routinely at diagnosis before the therapy. This expression was noted on leukemia cells of 6 ALL-proB patients (42.8%) and 66 cALL patients (49.6%). The expression of CD20 showed no association with the expression of CD34, CD22 and MDR. The reverse association was observed between CD20 expression and the presence of co-expression of myeloid (CD13, CD33, CD65, CD15) and T lymphoid determinants (CD2, CD5, CD7) on leukemia cells. The effect of induction therapy analyzed as time of blast cells cytoreduction in peripheral blood and time of reaching the complete remission showed the slower clearance of peripheral blood from blast cells associated with expression of CD20. There was no association of CD20 expression with the time of reaching the hematological remission. The above results suggested a "protective" role of CD20 against co-expression of other determinants (myeloid and lymphoid) and no association with the results of induction therapy.

[Assesment of the selected T and B lymphocyte subsets in children with newly diagnosed insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus]. / Ocena wybranych subpopulacji limfocytów B i T u dzieci we wczesnym okresie cukrzycy insulinozaleznej.

The study was performed in 39 children with newly diagnosed insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. The %age number of CD19+, CD5+/CD20+ B lymphocytes and CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD4+/DR+, CD8+/DR+ T lymphocytes subpopulations were investigated in the peripheral blood. Marked, statistically significant increase (p<0.0001) in CD5+ B lymphocytes was revealed in 77% of patients as compared to the healthy control. The elevated number of CD5+ B lymphocytes correlated with presence of activated lymphocytes T (CD4+/DR+ and CD8+/DR+). The total number of CD19+, CCD3+, CD4+, CD8+ lymphocytes was on comparable level in both groups.

[BCL-2 antigen expression in blood cells in children suffering from leukemia]. / Ekspresja antygenu BCL-2 w komórkach krwi dzieci chorych na bialaczke.

It was established that high level of BCL-2 antigen inhibited suicidal cell death and prevented apoptosis induced by antitumor drugs. Due to the fact that evaluation of BCL-2 expression in bone marrow and peripheral blood cells could be an important prognostic factor in patients with malignant hematopoietic diseases, we decided to study the number of BCL-2+ nuclear cells and assess this antigen expression in the cells. Using monoclonal FITC-conjugated antibody, antigen BCL-2 was found in peripheral blood cells in children with both lymphoblastic (ALL) and non-lymphoblastic leukemia (NLL). At the same time the percentage of PCNA+ blood nuclear cells was investigated. The cells were analysed with a flow cytometer. The study carried out in a group of 12 ill and 7 healthy children showed significantly increased percentage of lymphocytes and neutrophiles PCNA+ and BCL-2+ in ALL, in comparison with a healthy control group. Exclusively an increased percentage of BCL-2+ lymphocytes and neutrophiles was observed in NLL patients. Due to a relatively small group of investigated patients we can not make a certain conclusion but preliminary analysis suggests a correlation between a high number of BCL-2+ cells and a long time without remission.

The red cell sodium, potassium, inorganic phosphate, ATP and 2,3DPG concentrations in chronic renal failure.

In dialysis and non-dialysis patients with terminal renal failure the red cell ATP and 2,3 DPG concentrations are increased. Inorganic phosphate level in red cells is nearly normal in both groups of patients. The red cell potassium concentration is decreased in both groups. Sodium concentration in red cells is significantly lower in dialysis than in non-dialysis patients, the former being lower and the latter being higher, than the average normal value.

A mannoglucokinese of Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra.

An ATP: D-glucose and D-mannose 6-phosphotransferase activity was found in Mycobacterium tuberculosis HERa. The activity was separated from other ATP- and polyphosphate D-glucose phosphotransferases in a procedure involving precipitation with ammonium sulfate, treatment with calcium phosphate gel, DEAE-cellulose and DEAE-Sephadex A50 chromatography. The optimum pH of the phosphorylation reaction was from 9 to 10.5. The hexokinase phosphorylated D-glucose with a Km of 20 mM under conditions of MgATP saturation. The Km for MgATP was 0.2 mM. The enzyme showed a higher activity on D-mannose at a saturation level being about 100-fold lower than that of D-glucose; it did not utilize either D-fructose or D-glucosamine. Inorganic poly(P) could not replace ATP as the phosphate donor. M. tuberculosis H37Ra was unable to grow on D-mannose which may suggest that the enzyme studied is involved in endogenous metabolism of this sugar.

[Mobile soundproof booth for audiometric industrial testing]. / Przewozna kabina audiometryczna do badan w prezemysle

The authors modified a caravan for the purpose of audiometric testing in the neighbourhood of industrial workplaces. The sound insulation of the caravan increased due to the use of double glasses in the windows, special tightening of the doors and covering the walls with sound absorbing material. The gained insluation enables the testing of the threshold of hearing in a surrounding where the ambient noise does not exceed foolowing octave-band noise levels: 49 dB--125 Hz, 59 dB--250 Hz, 57 dB--500 Hz, 74 dB--1000 Hz, 81 dB--2000 Hz, 91 dB--4000 Hz, and 100 dB--8000 Hz.

Polyphosphate-glucose phosphotransferase. Purification of Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra enzyme to apparent homogeneity.

1. The enzyme (EC 2.7.1.63) was isolated from glucose-grown M. tuberculosis H37Ra; during the purification procedure, 2-mercaptoethanol, glucose, EDTA and NaCl served as protecting agents. 2. The enzyme was purified about 600-fold. The preparation was homogeneous on polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis and gave one precipitin line in double immunodiffusion test. Molecular weight of the enzyme determined by Sephadex G-100 filtration was about 118 000. 3. The enzyme preparation showed also glucokinase activity with ATP.