First report of Caenorhabditis brenneri (Nematoda: Rhabditida) isolated from the cadaver of Philippinella moellendorffi (Stylommatophora: Ariophantidae), a terrestrial slug in the Philippines.

Gastropod-associated nematodes have been previously studied and documented worldwide, with some species forming host-specific association as obligate parasites of molluscs while others form intermediate and temporary association. Philippinella moellendorffi from Imelda, Zamboanga Sibugay, Philippines, were collected, washed and maintained in the laboratory until death. Cadavers were placed on nutrient agar to allow nematode proliferation. Nematode pure culture was obtained using one gravid female for propagation. Morphology and molecular analyses (18S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) and D2-D3 expansion segments of 28S rDNA) were employed as diagnostic tools in identifying the nematode species isolated from P. moellendorffi. The newly isolated nematode was identified as Caenorhabditis brenneri, thus designated as C. brenneri strain IZSP from the Philippines. This is the first record of C. brenneri isolated from the terrestrial slug P. moellendorffi.

Suture-line reinforcement with glutaraldehyde-preserved bovine pericardium for nonanatomic resection of lung tissue.

In this study we assessed the usefulness of glutaraldehyde-preserved bovine pericardium (GPBP), preparated in our laboratory, in nonanatomic resection of lung tissue in dogs. A 30% resection of the right cranial lobe of the lung was performed in 18 mongrel dogs. The suture line was reinforced with GPBP strips. For group I (n = 6), the GPBP strips were fixed on the lung with nonabsorbable suture by thoracotomy. In Group II (n = 6), the resection and fixation of the GPBP strips were performed with an endoscopic linear stapler by thoracotomy. In Group III (n = 6), the resection and fixation of the GPBP strips were performed with a linear stapler by thoracoscopy. The animals were evaluated each day during the first week after surgery and every other day during the study time. At the end of the study all animals were euthanized with an overdose of pentobarbital. Macroscopic and microscopic examinations of the bioprosthesis and lung were evaluated. All animals survived the surgical procedure and study time (8 weeks). In the three groups, macroscopic examination of the bioprosthesis showed good adaptation to the lung tissue. Microscopically, all groups of animals presented good healing, with the presence of fibrotic tissue layer on the GPBP and its periphery as well as in the lung. However, in group I we observed the presence of giant cells in the suture line. GPBP proved to be a useful material for reinforcement of the nonanatomic resection suture line of lung tissue in dogs.

Three new species of nothacrobeles (nemata: cephalobidae) from the mojave desert, california.

Three new species of Nothacrobeles are described from localities in the Mojave Desert, southern California. Nothacrobeles triniglarus n. sp. is characterized by the presence of a long post-vulval sac and three tubular adoral projections. Both N. spatulatus n. sp. and N. nanocorpus n. sp. are smaller than any other known species within the genus. Nothacrobeles spatulatus n. sp. has labial probolae that are short and spatulate without a basal ridge, whereas those of N. nanocorpus n. sp. are flattened and plate-like. Furthermore, N. nanocorpus n. sp. is unique by its extremely short esophageal corpus (less than 25 microm long in adult females) and the small size of its guard processes. An emended diagnosis of the genus is given to accommodate distinctive characteristics of these new species. A table comparing the 11 valid species of Nothacrobeles is presented.

Effect of prostaglandin E2 on the tracheobronchial distribution of lung preservation perfusate.

Complete lung preservation requires the perfusate to reach the cell it intends to protect; this is directly related to the distribution of the preserving solution throughout the lung vasculature. Several prostanoids are clinically used to enhance lung preservation. We evaluated the effect of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) on the distribution of lung perfusate throughout tracheobronchial tissue. Fourteen pulmonary blocks were procured from an equal number of dogs and divided according to whether or not they had previously received a PGE2 infusion. All lung blocks were perfused with a glucose-insulin-potassium solution, and distribution within the lung parenchyma and tracheobronchial tissue was measured using the flow reference technique and gadolinium-153-labeled microspheres. Once perfusion had taken place, samples of lung parenchyma, tracheobronchial tissue, and flow reference were measured for radioactivity, and flow was calculated per 100 g tissue. Animals receiving PGE2 had an expected 38% decrease in systemic arterial pressure; the duration of infusion of lung perfusate during procurement was shorter in those animals receiving PGE2 (5.75 +/- 0.3 min, vs. no PGE2 8.9 +/- 1.2 min; p < .05). Perfusate flow of bronchial mucosa and cartilage increased by two to three times with the infusion of PGE2 (p < .01). Perfusate flow to lobar bronchus or lung parenchyma was similar in both groups. Flow within the lung parenchyma did not differ statistically when compared to its lobar distribution. In conclusion, PGE2-treated animals had a two- to threefold increase in perfusate flow to mainstem bronchi (including mucosa); these findings to some extent support the rationale for utilizing prostanoids in order to enhance lung preservation in clinical lung transplantation.

Plasma thromboxane B2 concentrations and pulmonary vascular resistance during lung reperfusion.

The purpose of this study was to measure the behavior of plasmatic thromboxane B2 (pITxB2) after reperfusion of a glucose-insulin-potassium preserved lung. Seven adult mongrel dogs underwent a left lung allotransplantation. Hemodynamic changes including pulmonary artery pressure and cardiac output were measured. Pulmonary artery vascular resistance, systemic resistance, arterio-venous oxygen difference, and shunt were calculated. Immunoreactive arterial and venous plasma thromboxane B2 concentrations were measured at 0 (basal), 60, 120, and 180 min after reperfusion. Hemodynamic measurements were made after 5 min of occlusion of the right pulmonary artery and ventilation with 100% oxygen. Prepreservation, pre-reperfusion, and posttransplant lung weights were obtained. All animals survived the procedure. Ischemic time was 14.72 (+/-0.31) h. Cardiac output, systemic arterial pressure, and arterio-venous oxygen difference decreased while systemic vascular resistance, pulmonary vascular resistance, and shunt increased during the study. Mean pulmonary artery pressure correlated with pulmonary vascular resistance (p < .01). Oxygen tension diminished significantly at 180 min after reperfusion. Mean basal pulmonary arterial TxB2 was 3589 (+/-424) pg/ml; mean plasma pulmonary venous TxB2 was 6578 (+/-1571) pg/ml. Pulmonary arterial to venous TxB2 ratio (a/vTxB2) increased from 0.70 at basal measurement to 0.83 at 60 min, and 0.99 at 120 and 180 min after reperfusion (p < .05). Pulmonary arterial TxB2 had a positive correlation with mean pulmonary artery pressure (p < .05); also, a/v pITxB2 correlated with pulmonary vascular resistance (r = .616, p < .01). Mean post-reperfusion lung weight increase was 74.88% (45.37 g). In conclusion, pITxB2 a/v ratio ratio increases after reperfusion of a 14-h preserved lung; pulmonary vascular resistance significantly increases after 180 min of reperfusion and correlates with the increase in pITxB2 a/v ratio.

A preliminary study of manducatory behaviour influenced by stress and dental occlusion.

Stress and dental occlusion often are incriminated as causes of dysfunction of the manducatory system. How and in what degree these two factors came through has not yet been clearly worked out. Our study is carried out on a group of rats presenting one or both of these two factors and we proposed to examine the duration and frequency of some components of their behaviour--intake of solid food and grooming, to detect some possible perturbations on manducatory behaviour caused by stress and/or occlusal interference. Our study shows that stress induced by emotion or occlusal interference will change the microstructure of behaviour rather than the global component in itself. This implies that we must find a clear definition of the different types of microstructure to find out which ones are changed by the two incriminating factors and which part of the behaviour component will remain stable.

Heterologous expression of alcohol oxidase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: properties of the enzyme and implications for microbody development.

Alcohol oxidase (AO) expressed in transformed oleic acid-grown Saccharomyces cerevisiae, accumulated into microbodies to up to 8% of the total protein content of the organelles. This led to a small increase in volume fraction of the organelles, but not in their number. Most of the AO protein was present in large aggregates in the cytosol. The AO synthesized was inactive, irrespective of its subcellular localization and did not contain FAD. When the same AO gene was expressed in fused protoplasts of transformed S. cerevisiae and Hansenula polymorpha, the enzyme was properly assembled and activated in H. polymorpha microbodies.

Alcohol oxidase expressed under nonmethylotrophic conditions is imported, assembled, and enzymatically active in peroxisomes of Hansenula polymorpha.

We have introduced into Hansenula polymorpha an extra copy of its alcohol oxidase gene. This gene which is under the control of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae phosphoglycerate kinase promoter is integrated in a chromosome different from the one containing the endogenous gene. Cells with the extra alcohol oxidase gene, grown on glucose or ethanol as the sole carbon source, express enzymatically active alcohol oxidase. However, other enzymes characteristic for methylotrophic growth conditions are absent or present at low levels. Most of the alcohol oxidase occurs in the octameric state and immuno- and cytochemical evidence shows that it is located in a single enlarged peroxisome per cell. Such peroxisomes show crystalloid inclusions which are lacking in the peroxisomes present in glucose grown control cells. Our results suggest that import into peroxisomes of H. polymorpha, assembly and activation of alcohol oxidase is not conditionally dependent on adaptation to methylotrophic growth conditions and that proliferation of peroxisomes is a well-programmed process that is not triggered solely by overproduction of a peroxisomal protein.