[Efficacy of a combination therapy with vitamins B6, B12 and folic acid for general feeling of ill-health. Results of a non-interventional post-marketing surveillance study]. / Wirksamkeit einer Vitamin-B6-, -B12- und Folsäure-Kombinationstherapie bei Befindlichkeitsstörungen. Ergebnisse einer Anwendungsbeobachtung.

OBJECTIVE: In the present non-interventional postmarketing surveillance study, patients with symptoms of an inadequate supply of vitamins were tested for how a treatment with a combination vitamin injection consisting of vitamins B6, B12 and folic acid affects mood and fitness. The evaluation of the efficacy and tolerability as well as the documentation of adverse drug reactions were carried out by the physician. METHODS: The patient collective included 1430 patients (70.8% women, average age 67.1 years, average BMI 25.5 kg/m2). The average duration of treatment was 4.5 weeks with an average of 8.3 intramuscular injections. The principal method for determining the efficacy was the self-assessment scale of well-being (Bf-S) according to Zerssen (sum score with a value range between 0 and 56 points). RESULTS: The sum score of the Bf-S decreased from 37.5 (+/-10.1) points at admission to 15.6 (+/- 9.4) points after four weeks of treatment. The subjective impression improved correspondingly in 96.3% of the patients. The improvement of the Bf-S was equally good in women and men. The number of injections correlated with the improvement in the sum score. The tolerability was mainly rated as very good or good. CONCLUSIONS: Eight vitamin infections over four weeks led to a clear improvement in the mood and vitality of patients with symptoms of intracellular vitamin B deficiency.

[Relevance of infection with equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1) in a German thoroughbred stud: vaccination, abortion and diagnosis]. / Die Bedeutung der Infektion mit dem equinen Herpesvirus Typ 1 (EHV-1) in einem deutschen Vollblutgestüt: Impfung, Abortgeschehen und Diagnostik.

The aim of the present study was to clarify whether an EHV-1 induced abortion can be prognosticated by an increase of antibody titres, virus shedding and/or viraemia and whether the current abortion diagnostic is suitable. In this context the immune response post immunization and a possible reactivation were of great interest. For this purpose blood samples of 32 mares between the ages of 5-21 years were regularly investigated during a period of two years before and after vaccination and pregnancy. Neutralization tests, indirect immunofluorescence tests as well as PCR and virus isolation were used for EHV-1 diagnostics. It could be shown that the horses reacted individually to vaccination. In 14 cases a EHV-1-reactivation was suggested. An abortion prognosis was not possible even using serological, virological and molecular biological parameters. In addition, virus shedding and antibody titres were individual. An acute infection was detectable by a significant rise of antibodies and viraemia as well as virus shedding in the secretions. For the abortion diagnostics the antigen detection in combination with virus isolation and PCR from fetal lungs gave reliable results. In addition, the virological and serological investigation of the mare is recommendable. For prophylaxis we would advise a regular vaccination and strict hygiene.

The plastocyanin binding domain of photosystem I.

The molecular recognition between plastocyanin and photosystem I was studied. Photosystem I and plastocyanin can be cross-linked to an active electron transfer complex. Immunoblots and mass spectrometric analysis of proteolytic peptides indicate that the two negative patches conserved in plant plastocyanins are cross-linked with lysine residues of a domain near the N-terminus of the PsaF subunit of photosystem I. Conversion of these negative to uncharged patches of plastocyanin by site-directed mutation D42N/E43Q/D44N/E45Q and E59Q/E60Q/D61N respectively, reveals the first patch to be essential for the electrostatic interaction in the electron transfer complex with photosystem I and the second one to lower the redox potential. The domain in PsaF, not found in cyanobacteria, is predicted to fold into two amphipathic alpha-helices. The interacting N-terminal helix lines up six lysines on one side which may guide a fast one-dimensional diffusion of plastocyanin and provide the electrostatic attraction at the attachment site, in addition to the hydrophobic interaction in the area where the electron is transferred to P700 in the reaction center of photosystem I. This two-step interaction is likely to increase the electron transfer rate by more than two orders of magnitude in plants as compared with cyanobacteria. Our data resolve the controversy about the function of PsaF.

Light-induced charge separation between plastocyanin and the iron-sulfur clusters FA and FB in the complex of plastocyanin and photosystem I.

The light-induced electron transfer in a crosslinked complex between plastocyanin and photosystem I from spinach was studied by EPR at low temperature. Electron donation from reduced plastocyanin to P700+ was observed under illumination above a temperature of about 160 K, resulting in a second charge separation and an electron transfer from rereduced P700 to the terminal electron acceptors FA/FB. The charge-separated state Pc oxP700+ [FA/FB](2-) was found to be stable at 15 K. Implications of these results for the kinetic constants of the donation reaction and the backtransfer of electrons from reduced acceptors as well as for the structural models of the terminal acceptors are discussed.