[Hydroxyethyl starch--an interim report]. / Hydroxyethylstärke--ein Zwischenbericht.

Since the beginning of this century, a few biopolymers have been used as basic materials for volume substitution. Aside from gelatin and dextran, modified starch (hydroxyethyl starch, HES) is currently the first-choice means. Due to special manufacturing processes, different hydroxyethyl starches are now available. They have several different characteristics and produce different clinical effects. These clinical properties depend on the average molecular weight and the distribution of molecular weight as well as on the degree and pattern of substitution. The duration of volume effect, one of the most important parameters for the effectiveness of a volume substitute, depends to a large degree on the substitution. Elimination of HES from serum is delayed by a high degree of substitution and a high C2/C6 ratio of the substitution pattern. The molecular parameters of HES also influence other effects, such as cumulation in various organs and hemostasis. Critical reading of current HES literature shows that many questions still have to be answered. At the same time ways and means of optimizing differential volume substitution therapy and hemodilution therapy are emerging.

Occurrence of plasmids in black-pigmented gram-negative anaerobes.

Black-pigmented Gram-negative anaerobes are causative agents of pyogenic infections and are closely linked to various forms of periodontal diseases. Whereas many studies have shown a high incidence of plasmids in intestinal Bacteroides spp., there have been only a few reports of plasmid analyses in pigmented Gram-negative anaerobes. According to previous reports and confirmed in this study, plasmids can be present in Porphyromonas asaccharolytica, Prevotella intermedia, Pr. melaninogenica, and B. levii but have not been detected in P. gingivalis or other black-pigmented species. There were no correlations between plasmids and phenotypes such as resistance to antibiotics or bacteriocinogenicity. The highest carriage rate was found in isolates from cases of chronic otitis media, but the relationship between this site of infection and a high incidence of plasmids could be incidental. The size of plasmids ranged from 1.5 to 29 MDa. Plasmids with molecular weight > 10 MDa were described for the first time in these organisms. Repeated plasmid analyses showed that the plasmid patterns were generally stable.

In vivo utilization of N-(phosphonomethyl)-anilines and related substances by Pseudomonas spec. GS.

Utilization of various phosphonates as source for phosphorus by the glyphosate degrading strain Pseudomonas spec. GS was investigated. Metabolites of phosphonate degradation were characterized indicating the cleavage of the C-P-bound as primary step of breakdown. The phosphonate N-(phosphonomethyl)-4'-nitroazobenzene-4-amine (azophon) was characterized as a suitable substrate for detection of C-P-bond splitting activity in vivo. Pseudomonas cells permeabilized by toluene treatment were also capable of phosphonate degradation whereas no in vitro activity of a putative C-P-bond cleaving enzyme was detectable after cell disruption.

[Glyphosate utilization by Pseudomonas spec. GS]. / Glyphosatverwertung durch Pseudomonas sp. GS.

Pseudomonas spec. GS grown in the presence of 14C-labelled glyphosate metabolizes the herbicide to inorganic phosphate as well as in respect of utilization of the C-skeleton. Furthermore it was shown that the primary step of degradation is the breakdown of the C-P-bond, because sarcosine was found as a transient metabolite.

[Frequency distribution of DNA in blood and bone marrow cells of children with acute non-lymphatic leukemia using impulse cytophotometry]. / Untersuchungen der DNS-Häufigkeitsverteilung in Blut- und Knochenmarkzellen von Kindern mit akuter nichtlymphatischer Leukämie mittels Impulszytophotometrie.

1. As compared with the peripheral blood lymphocytes of healthy subjects the cells in the mononuclear fraction of peripheral blood and in the bone marrow of children with ANLL show a significant higher S- and G2 + M-phase. 2. A high proliferative activity correlate with a bad prognosis or with reaching no haematological remission. 3. Frequently, aneuploid cell populations will occur in the morphological subtypes M 4 and M 5.

[Impulse cytophotometry studies of bone marrow and blood cells in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). 2. Lymphatic cells in blood]. / Impulszytophotometrische Untersuchungen von Knochenmark- und Blutzellen bei Kindern mit akuter lymphoblastischer Leukämie (ALL). 2. Mitteilung: Lymphatische Zellen des Blutes.

The DNA-content of mononuclear cells of the peripheral blood of infantile and juvenile ALL patients was investigated using Pulse Cytophotometry. The fraction of cells in S- and G2 + M-phase is significantly increased in comparison with samples of healthy probands. The fraction of DNA-synthesising cells (S-phase) of both peripheral blood (mononuclear cells) and bone marrow of leukemia patients cannot be significantly distinguished by mathematical methods. On the other hand, the fraction of cells in later phases of cell cycle (G2 + M-phase) is significant enhanced in the bone marrow in comparison with the peripheral blood. A high correlation was found between the number of leukocytes and fraction of G2 + M-phase cells in the peripheral blood of SR- and MR-patients. No correlation was found between the number of leukocytes and S-phase-fraction. The occurrence of aneuploid cell populations in the mononuclear fraction of peripheral blood in the acute state of ALL could be of importance for prognosis and regime of therapy.

[Impulse cytophotometric studies of bone marrow and blood cells in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). 1. Bone marrow cells]. / Impulszytophotometrische Untersuchungen von Knochenmarkund Blutzellen bei Kindern mit akuter lymphoblastischer Leukämie (ALL). 1. Mitteilung: Knochenmarkzellen.

1. Compared with the peripheral blood lymphocytes of healthy children the cell fractions in the S- and G2 + M-phase are significantly higher in the bone-marrow of those children affected with ALL. This increase was proved in the SR- and MR-group irrespective of the cytomorphological subtype and cytochemical reaction. In patients with relapses the percentage of S-phase cells is below 6%. 2. In about 30% of our patients (mainly in the SR-group with L1-morphology) an initial DNA-aneuploidy was identified. As the risk of relapse is higher in children without DNA-aneuploidy, this symptom has a pretherapeutical-prognostic significance. 3. In the phase of hematological full remission, DNA-frequency distribution correlates with the proliferative activity of normal hematopoiesis. It provides no additional information about the pretherapeutical risk.

Modulation of alpha 2-acute phase globulin serum concentration in turpentine- and immune complex-challenged rats by dexamethasone and adrenaline: evidence for a synergistic mode of action.

The acute phase response (APR) induced by immune complexes or turpentine and modulated by dexamethasone as well as adrenaline was investigated in intact, sham-adrenalectomized and adrenalectomized rats. The serum level of alpha 2-acute phase globulin was examined by means of electroimmunodiffusion, and the complex serum protein profile was studied using the crossed-IE. Dexamethasone administration increased the alpha 2-acute phase globulin concentration weakly over a wide dose range whereas rats dosed with adrenaline responded strongly over a small dose range. Turpentine but not immune complex challenge provoked an almost complete acute phase protein profile as well as a moderate alpha 2-acute phase globulin elevation in adrenalectomized rats. After combined administration of the prophlogistic agents and dexamethasone or adrenaline a remarkably high alpha 2-acute phase globulin level was found (up to 14 mg/ml with about 0.05 mg/ml as base level). From these results a synergistic mode of action can be suggested. With crossed-IE some of the proteins could by divided in proteins responding in a glucocorticoid-dependent (e.g. alpha 2-acute phase globulin, haptoglobin) and -independent fashion (alpha 1-acute phase globulin), respectively. It can be concluded that glucocorticoids, catecholamines as well as cytokines are the main candidates for triggering the acute phase response; however, additional factors may also be of importance.

Similarities of the substrate cleavage catalyzed by proline specific endopeptidase and dipeptidyl peptidase IV.

16 substrates of the types succinyl-alanyl-alanine-pX-anilide, and succinyl-alanyl-proline-pX anilide having different substituents in para-position of the aryl residue were synthesized and characterized. The influence of electronic as well as hydrophobic substituent constants, sigma and pi, on the hydrolysis of the substrates catalyzed by the enzyme Proline Specific Endopeptidase (PSE) has been investigated. In the Hansch approach, the catalytic constants lg kcat and lg (kcat/KM) of succinyl-alanyl-alanine-pX-anilides hydrolyzed by PSE correlate significantly with electronic substituent constants sigma, whereas no correlation in the case of succinyl-alanyl-proline-pX-anilides. The intercorrelation of the constants of the former substrates with corresponding data from Dipeptidyl Peptidase IV (DP IV) catalyzed hydrolysis of alanyl-alanine-pX-anilides suggest that both enzymes act by similar catalytic mechanism.

[Suppression of lymphocyte proliferation in the blood of children with infectious mononucleosis. Flow cytometry study]. / Uber das Proliferationsverhalten von lymphatischen Zellen des Blutes bei Kindern mit infektiöser Mononukleose. Untersuchungen mit dem Impulszytophotometer.

The investigation of lymphatic cells from venous blood shows an increase of cells in the S-phase during the acute stage of infectious mononucleosis, which is connected with a decrease of G1-phase cells. G2 + M fraction will remain within the normal range. These changes will completely recede within the first four weeks of the disease. In contrast to that, there is an increase in the percentage of G2 + M phase cells in the bone-marrow at the onset of the disease. The other fractions are within the normal range.

Peptide hydrolase activities in seedlings and hormone-treated cotyledons of pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo).

Enzymes hydrolyzing Gly-Ala-, Met-Met- and Pro-4-phenylazo-phenylamides, and N-benzoyl-L-arginine-4-nitroanilide have been identified in germinating seeds and cotyledons of pumpkin (Cucurbita pepo). The enzyme activities per cotyledon increase markedly during the germination process, but the proportion of enhancement depends on the type of enzyme species. The increase in enzyme activities is due to de novo synthesis as shown by cycloheximide treatment and is influenced by phytohormones (cytokinins and abscissic acid). In isolated cotyledons exogenous cytokinin (benzyladenine) obviously can replace the effect of the embryo as the source of endogenous hormone. Abscissic acid counteracts the cytokinin effect. It is suggested that aminopeptidases have a biological function in reserve protein degradation of the cotyledons during seed germination. Our results do not support the assumption that the embryonic axis of the growing seedling serves as a "sink" of proteolytic products resulting in an activation of peptide hydrolases in the cotyledons, but rather de novo synthesis of these enzymes seems to be controlled by substances (phytohormones) originating from the embryo.

Pulse-cytophotometric investigations on cells of inflamed tissues.

In rats the degree of mitosis of cells in the peritonitis exudate was determined after injecting a mixture of carrageenin/formalin. The same determination was performed in the skin tissue of the adjuvant-injected hind paw during adjuvant arthritis. No significant change of the mitosis rate could be found. The present data suggest a maintainance of the inflammatory reaction by immigrating cells and not by cell division.

The mechanism of substrate activation of pyruvate decarboxylase: a first approach.

The sigmoidal shape of the curve for v[S], characteristic of pyruvate decarboxylase, indicates that the catalytic activity of this enzyme is regulated by the substrate. The enzyme, which is inactive in the absence of its substrate, is activated not only by 2-oxo acids but also by 2-oxo acid amides, which cannot act as a substrate of the enzyme. Whilst the dissociation constant of the enzyme-activator complex depends on the electrophilic nature of the carbonyl group, the catalytic activity reached at saturation concentrations of the activator species is independent of the structure of the activator molecules. The mechanism of activation which proceeds via two reversible steps could be evaluated exactly by stopped-flow techniques. The kinetic parameters of the activation and deactivation reaction were estimated and the validity of the equations derived which describe the activation kinetics could be proved by comparing them with the measured data. Using glyoxylic acid as an irreversibly binding active-site marker, it could be shown that addition of the substrate to the enzyme-bound thiamin diphosphate is the step of the catalytic mechanism whose rate is controlled by the substrate (activator) molecule.