Effect of various dairy packaging materials on the headspace analysis of ultrapasteurized milk.

Milk from three different dairies (each a separate trial: 1, 2, and 3) was standardized to 2% fat and processed at 140.6, 129.4, 118.3, and 107.2 degrees C (temperatures 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively) for 2 s and packaged into six different packaging boards [standard (A) milk boards with standard seam, juice boards with standard (B) and J- bottom (D) seams, barrier boards with standard (C) and J-bottom (E) seams, and foil (F) boards with J-bottom seam] resulting in 24 different treatments. A Shimadzu 15A series chromatograph equipped with a Porapak-P column was used to measure the headspace of the milk stored at 6.7 degrees C for 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, and 15 wk of storage. Gas chromatographic headspace analysis for sulfur compounds showed that hydrogen sulfide, methanethiol, and dimethyl sulfide were detected in milk processed at 140.6, 129.4, 118.3, and 107.2 degrees C. In addition, dimethyl disulfide was detected in milk processed at 140.6 and 129.4 degrees C, and dimethyl trisulfide was detected at 140.6 degrees C. Milk processed at 140.6 degrees C contained the most sulfur compounds. Samples C1, E1, and F1 retained the most hydrogen sulfide and methanethiol at 6 d of storage. Methanethiol appeared to be heat-induced. At wk 6, a slightly hammy or cardboardy flavor was detected for milk packaged in boards with standard seams (A, B, and C), and a slightly cooked flavor was detected for milk packaged in barrier and foil boards with J-bottom (E and F) seams. The hammy or cardboardy flavor intensified with storage time, and all of the cooked flavor dissipated at wk 10.

Residual mass after treatment of primary cervical lymphoma: the utility of gallium 67 and MRI.

Primary cervical lymphoma is extremely rare. The clinical and imaging findings of three patients at initial presentation and at follow-up are described. A posttreatment residual mass was evident in all three patients when imaged by computed tomography (CT) or ultrasound (US). Gallium 67 scintigraphy and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), however, demonstrated interval resolution of disease activity with residual fibrotic mass. We conclude that patients with this rare tumor may be better followed with gallium 67 scintigraphy or MRI, as these modalities more accurately reflect the disease activity of residual tumor bulk.

Evaluation of a modified hexose sugar, amiprilose hydrochloride, in experimental models of synovitis.

Amiprilose HC1 (SM-1213), a nontoxic modified hexose sugar, was evaluated in in vivo and in vitro models of synovitis. In 8 sequential trials, 90 Louvain (LOU) rats and 91 Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were immunized with chick type II collagen and given amiprilose HC1 in water (1 mg/ml) or water alone. In the LOU rats, the arthritis incidence was 7/46 (15%) in the amiprilose HC1 group vs 16/44 (36%) in the water group (p less than 0.01). In the SD rats, the incidence was 28/46 (60%) in the experimental vs 33/45 (73%) in the control group (p greater than NS), although the prevalence of arthritis on Days 16 and 21 was significantly (p less than 0.03) lower in the experimental group. Amiprilose HC1 did not affect the antibody titers or delayed-type hypersensitivity to collagen, or T cell subset distribution in the LOU experiments. Two analogues, SM-1211 and SM-1212, did not alter this disease. No toxicity was noted. At a nontoxic concentration of 1 mg/ml, amiprilose HC1 suppressed 3H thymidine incorporation in cultured rabbit synovial fibroblasts by 78% and resulted in the appearance of numerous intracytoplasmic granules/vacuoles. These effects were partially antagonized by indomethacin or dexamethasone at 10(-7) M. SM-1211 was inert in this system. Amiprilose HC1 system also reduced rabbit synoviocyte supernatant prostaglandin E2 levels up to 73% in a dose related fashion, but did not affect collagenase activity. These morphologic changes in synoviocytes, combined with anti-inflammatory and antiproliferative effects, provide evidence that amiprilose HC1 possesses modest and nontoxic antirheumatic properties. A search for analogues of this sugar with more substantial clinical activities is warranted.

Detection of arthritogenic factor in adjuvant arthritis.

An evocation of arthritis by an Ag-specific lymphokine has recently been considered with the description of arthritogenic factor (AF) in rats with collagen arthritis. Because rats with CFA-induced arthritis also exhibit T cell reactivity to native type II collagen, T cell lines specific for this protein were established from CFA-injected rats. Supernatant material from these lines contained a type II collagen-binding lymphokine with functional and biochemical attributes identical with those described for AF, i.e., it was a 65-kDa species cross-reacting immunoprotein possessing the ability to incite an erosive, proliferative synovitis when injected into the knee joint of naive recipients. Similarities were also observed with HPLC and on two-dimensional gels. Lymph node cells from rats with arthritis created by injection of the synthetic adjuvant, CP-20,961 failed to produce AF, suggesting that this material is not a ubiquitous concomitant of inflammatory arthritis in the rat. Test injections into sites contiguous with the ear cartilage plate and into fibroblast-lined s.c. pouches suggested that cartilage was a requisite for the induction of inflammation by AF. These data identify a potentially shared effector pathway in the collagen and adjuvant models. The presence of AF in two frequently used models further supports the hypothesis that Ag-specific lymphokines can create autoimmune disease.

The use of low protein liquid diets to determine the methionine requirement and the efficacy of methionine hydroxy analogue for the three-week-old pig.

A mechanical feeding device that dispenses liquid diets hourly was developed to feed 3-week-old pigs under carefully controlled and sanitary conditions. Pigs were weaned at 19-21 days of age, placed in individual cages of the automatic feeder, and trained to eat low protein (9%) milk diets, which were supplemented with essential amino acids, glutamic acid and monosodium glutamate so as to be equivalent to 14% protein nitrogen. The basal 9% protein diet contained 0.25% L-methionine and 0.08% L-cysteine and was supplemented with L- or DL-methionine or DL-methionine hydroxy analogue (MHA) at various levels for evaluation of the methionine requirement. Pigs fed the basal diet showed a significant decrease in gain, feed efficiency and plasma urea (P less than 0.05) relative to animals that received supplemental methionine or MHA. The plasma methionine concentration remained below 0.2 mumol/ml plasma when pigs were fed diets containing 0.25-0.51% methionine; however, a significant increase in plasma methionine (P less than 0.05) was seen when pigs were fed diets that contained greater than 0.51% methionine activity in the form of L- or DL-methionine or DL-MHA. The highest average daily gain (470 g) obtained with a diet containing 0.51% methionine was significantly better (P less than 0.05) than diets containing more or less L- or DL-methionine, and the feed efficiency of this diet (1.58 kg feed per kilogram gain) was also significantly better (P less than 0.05) than the feed efficiency obtained with other dietary methionine levels. MHA (0.17%) added to the basal diet significantly improved the average daily gain (P less than 0.05) and lead to a significant decrease in plasma urea (P less than 0.05) relative to pigs that received the basal diet. Supplemental MHA (greater than 0.51% methionine level) produced significant increases (P less than 0.05) in plasma methionine. These data show that the methionine requirement of the 3-week-old pig can be satisfied with L- or DL-methionine or DL-MHA at a level equal to 0.51% of the dietary solids and that these three are equivalent. These experiments also show that low protein diets supplemented with amino acids can be used for liquid feeding of pigs weaned at 3 weeks of age, and average daily gains of greater than 400 g can be realized.

Cell-specific properties of red cell and liver ferritin from bullfrog tadpoles probed by phosphorylation in vitro.

Cell-specific differences occur in the primary structure of ferritin. For example, red cell and liver ferritin from bullfrog tadpoles differ by 1.5 times in serine content. To determine if cell-specific differences in ferritin primary structure are expressed in the tetraeicosomer, which thus might distinguish the proteins in a functional state, phosphorylation in vitro was employed as a probe using [gamma-32P]ATP and the catalytic subunit from the cAMP-dependent protein kinase of bovine skeletal muscle. Subunits of both proteins in the tetraeicosomers were phosphorylated. Based on tryptic peptide maps, five regions common to both red cell and liver apoferritin were phosphorylated, as confirmed for two peptides by amino acid analyses. [32P]Apoferritin from red cells yielded an additional four 32P-fragments by mapping, at least three of which were unique by amino acid analysis and, in one case, might represent a 32P-Fe complex bound by a fragment of the iron-binding site. One peptide appeared to be unique to liver apoferritin. High concentrations of ATP yielded one additional peptide common to liver and red cell and one red cell-specific peptide in the tryptic peptide maps. The maximum moles of 32P/molecule were 13 +/- 4 and 6 +/- 2, respectively, for red cell and liver apoferritin, which corresponded within experimental error to the number of 32P-tryptic peptides. The level of phosphorylation was, on the average, not more than one site/subunit. Furthermore, above certain levels of phosphorylation, some subunits in the assemblage of 24 appeared to be unavailable as substrates, possibly because of charge repulsion or conformational changes. The possibility that post-translational modifications of ferritin which amplify cell-specific structural features occur in vivo with cytoplasmic components, e.g. protein kinases, is considered in terms of the physiological availability of iron from different iron storage cells and developmental changes in iron storage.

Use of Alkaline Peeling Effluents from Vegetable and Fruit Processing Operations by Neurospora sitophila.

Growth of Neurospora sitophila on alkaline effluents from rutabaga, potato, and peach processing operations was studied. Submerged fermentation at 30 C reduced COD values from 42 to 68% of initial values for peeling wastes and from 17 to 25% in rinse wastes after 4 days. This procedure for reducing COD would be of interest as a pretreatment technique for use in processing plants discharging into municipal treatment systems. The total amino acid content of potato effluent biomass was nearly quadrupled, whereas the total amino acid content of peach effluent was doubled after 1 day of fermentation.