[Effect of traditional Chinese medicine treatment on levels of blocking antibody, beta-hCG, progesterone and estradiol in spontaneous abortion].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the effect of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) on abnormal maternal-fetal immune and endocrine in 24 cases of threatened abortion (TA) and 68 cases of recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA). METHODS: The levels of blocking effect (BE), antiidiotype antibody (AIA), cytotoxin antibody (CTA), beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (beta-hCG), progesterone (P), estradiol (E2) were measured in all 92 patients. RESULTS: Incidence rates of the lack of BE, AIA and CTA in 92 cases were 60.87%, 57.61% and 72.83% respectively. The lower levels of BE, AIA and CTA were elevated significantly (P < 0.05-0.01), and the serial levels of beta-hCG, P and E2 were markedly increasing (P < 0.01) in all successful pregnant patients. The rate of the successful pregnancy of 92 cases was 89.13% (to TA 91.67%, to RSA 88.24% respectively). CONCLUSIONS: It suggests that the lack of blocking antibody (BA) and endocrine hormone deficiency may result in spontaneous abortion during early pregnancy. The therapeutic mechanism of those herbs in treating spontaneous abortion was associated with the growing levels of BA and hormone by regulating the maternal-fetal immunity and endocrine.

[Anti-free radical damage of chronic glomerulonephritis with febrifugal and diuretic medicinal herbs].

A clinical trial to evaluate the method of removing Heat and eliminating Dampness (RHED) with febrifugal and diuretic medicinal herbs in treating chronic glomerulonephritis (CGN) patients was conducted. 45 cases of CGN were compared with 42 cases of healthy persons as control. The results showed that CGN patient's serum levels of lipid peroxide (LPO) increased, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and trace elements such as Zn, Cu, Se dropped down. After treatment with RHED the activity of LPO, SOD, catalase (CAT) revealed significant improvement. Serum levels of Zn, Cu, Se increased. It was considered that free radical damage was a general mechanisms of CGN and anti-free radical damage with RHED might play an important role in treatment.

Inexpensive, rapid procedure for bulk purification of cellulase-free beta-1,4-D-xylanase of high specific activity.

A process has been developed for the bulk purification of cellulase-free beta-1,4-D-xylanase from the fungus Trichoderma harzianum E58. The process involved the primary step of ultrafiltering the culture filtrate via a 10,000-molecular-weight cut-off membrane to separate the cellulase (retentate) and xylanase (permeate) fractions. The cellulase component was concentrated by 40- to 60-fold, resulting in an enzyme complex that could effectively hydrolyze high concentrations of cellulose and xylan to glucose and xylose. The xylanase was concentrated and solvent exchanged by adsorption to a cationic exchanger, SP-ZetaPrep 250, followed by elution with a pH change in the buffer to give a purified and concentrated xylanase complex dissolved in a low-salt buffer. The resultant xylanase system was pure by the criteria of sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide electrophoresis, had a very high specific activity of 2400 IU/mg protein, was virtually free of filter paper activity, and had a ratio of contaminating filter paper activity of 2 x 10(-6) (0.009% endoglucanase activity). Approximately 3.3 g protein, which contained in excess of 7 x 10(6) IU xylanase activity, was obtained from 17 L original culture filtrate. The process scheme was designed to facilitate scale-up to an industrial level of production.

Steam-explosion pretreatment of wood: Effect of chip size, acid, moisture content and pressure drop.

Material balances for pentosan, lignin, and hexosan, during steam-explosion pretreatment of aspenwood, showed almost quantitative recovery of cellulose in the water-insoluble fraction. Dilute acid impregnation resulted in more selective hydrolysis of pentosan relative to undesirable pyrolysis, and gave a more accessible substrate for enzymatic hydrolysis. Thermocouple probes, located inside simulated aspenwood chips heated in 240 degrees C-saturated steam, showed rapid heating of air-dry wood, whereas green or impregnated wood heated slowly. Small chips, 3.2 mm in the fiber direction, whether green or airdry gave approximately equal rates of pentosan destruction and solubilization, and similar yields of glucose and of total reducing sugars on enzymatic hydrolysis with Trichoderma harzianum. Partial pyrolysis, destroying one third of the pentosan of aspenwood at atmospheric pressure by dry steam at 276 degrees C, gave little increase in yield of reducing sugars on enzymatic hydrolysis. Treatment with saturated steam at 240 degrees C gave essentially the same yields of glucose and of total reducing sugars, and the same yields of butanediol and ethanol on fermentation with Klebsiella pneumoniae, whether or not 80% of the steam was bled off before explosion and even if the chips remained intact, showing that explosion was unnecessary.

Butanediol production from cellulose and hemicellulose by Klebsiella pneumoniae grown in sequential coculture with Trichoderma harzianum.

The bioconversion of cellulose and hemicellulose substrates to 2,3-butanediol by a sequential coculture approach was investigated with the cellulolytic fungus Trichoderma harzianum E58 and the fermentative bacterium Klebsiella pneumoniae. Vogel medium optimal for the production of the cellulolytic and xylanolytic enzymes of the fungus was found to be inhibitory to butanediol fermentation. This inhibition appeared to be due to a synergistic effect of various ingredients, particularly the salts, present in the fungal medium. The removal or replacement of such ingredients from Vogel medium led to the relief of fermentation inhibition, but the treatments also resulted in a significant decrease in fungal enzyme production. Resting cells of K. pneumoniae could be used for butanediol production in the fungal medium, indicating that the inhibitory effect on solvent production under such conditions was due to the indirect result of growth inhibition of the bacterial cells. The resting-cell approach could be combined with a fed-batch system for the direct conversion of 8 to 10% (wt/vol) of Solka-Floc or aspenwood xylan to butanediol at over 30% of the theoretical conversion efficiencies.

Fed-batch approach to production of 2,3-butanediol by Klebsiella pneumoniae grown on high substrate concentrations.

The bioconversion of sugars present in wood hemicellulose to 2,3-butanediol by Klebsiella pneumoniae grown on high sugar concentrations was investigated. When K. pneumoniae was grown under finite air conditions in the presence of added acetic acid, 50 g of D-glucose and D-xylose per liter could be converted to 25 and 27 g of butanediol per liter, respectively. The efficiency of bioconversion decreased with increasing sugar substrate concentrations (up to 200 g/liter). Butanediol production at low sugar substrate concentrations was less efficient when the organism was grown under aerobic conditions; however, final butanediol values were higher for cultures grown on an initial sugar concentration of 150 g/liter, particularly when the inoculum was first acclimatized to high sugar levels. When a double fed-batch approach (daily additions of sugars together with yeast extract) was used under aerobic conditions, up to 88 and 113 g of combined butanediol and acetyl methyl carbinol per liter could be obtained from the utilization of 190 g of D-xylose and 226 g of D-glucose per liter, respectively.

Utilization of enzymatically hydrolyzed wood hemicelluloses by microorganisms for production of liquid fuels.

Hemicellulose-derived sugars were obtained from a variety of pretreated wood substrates such as water-soluble fractions from steam-exploded aspen, solvent-extracted aspen, and commercial xylan. These fractions were enzymatically hydrolyzed by commercial enzyme preparations and by the culture filtrates of eight highly cellulolytic fungi. The sugars released were assayed by high-pressure liquid chromatography. Over 30% of the hemicellulose fractions, at a 10% substrate concentration, could be hydrolyzed to monosaccharides. These hemicellulose hydrolysates were used as the substrates for growth of Clostridium acetobutylicum and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Comparatively low butanol values were obtained with C. acetobutylicum, although over 50% of the hemicellulose fraction, at a 1% substrate concentration, could be converted to 2,3-butanediol, ethanol, and acetic acid by K. pneumoniae.

Enhanced Production of 2,3-Butanediol by Klebsiella pneumoniae Grown on High Sugar Concentrations in the Presence of Acetic Acid.

The bioconversion of sugars present in wood hemicellulose to 2,3-butanediol (hereafter referred to as butanediol) by Klebsiella pneumoniae grown on high initial concentrations (up to 10%) of sugars was investigated. Initial fermentation studies with a chemically defined medium suggested that sugar levels in excess of 2% could not be utlized even when a higher inoculum size (5 to 10%) was used. The addition of nutrient supplements, viz., yeast extract, urea, ammonium sulfate, and trace elements resulted in a 10 to 50% increase in butanediol yields, although sugar utilization remained incomplete. The concentration of end products normally found at the termination of fermentation was shown to be noninhibitory to growth and substrate utilization. Acetic acid was inhibitory at concentrations above 1%, although growth and butanediol yield were stimulated in cultures supplemented with lower levels of acetic acid. The efficient utilization of 4% substrate concentrations of d-glucose and d-xylose was achieved, resulting in butanediol yields of 19.6 and 22.0 g/liter, respectively.

L-cysteine oxidase activity in the membrane of Neisseria meningitidis.

Among the L-amino acids, only L-cysteine was oxidized by isolated washed membranes of group B Neisseria meningitidis SD1C. The cysteine oxidase in the membrane obeyed Michaelis-Menten kinetics and was heat labile. The pH optimum for the maximum velocity of the reaction was 9.8. Specific activity of the enzyme increased as cell growth progressed through the exponential phase toward the stationary phase of growth. The enzyme activity was markedly sensitive to inhibition by metal chelators, but was resistant to inhibitors of terminal oxidases with the exception of cyanide. All known cytochromes in the membrane, except b563, were reduced with L-cysteine. The additive nature of L-cysteine oxidase and succinate oxidase activities suggests that an unidentified oxidase is involved in the oxidation of cysteine.

Terminal branching of the respiratory electron transport chain in Neisseria meningitidis.

The respiratory components of the envelope membrane preparation of Neisseria meningitidis were investigated. Oxidase activities were demonstrated in this fraction in the presence of succinic acid, reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, and ascorbate-N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl-p-phenylene-diamine (TMPD). Differences in the kinetics of inhibition by terminal oxidase inhibitors on the three oxidase activities indicated that ascorbate-TMPD oxidation involved only an azide-sensitive oxidase, whereas oxidation of the physiological substrates involved two oxidases, one of which was relatively azide resistant. Spectrophotometric studies revealed that ascorbate-TMPD donated its electrons exclusively to cytochrome o, whereas the physiological substrates were oxidized via both cytochromes o and a. The effects of class II inhibitors on the oxidases suggest terminal branching of the electron transport chain at the cytochrome b level. A model of the respiratory system in N. meningitidis is proposed.