[The distribution of antibodies to the herpes simplex virus in different types of raw material used for producing immunoglobulin preparations]. / Izuchenie raspredeleniia antitel k virus prostogo gerpesa v razlichnykh vidakh syr'ia, ispol'zuemogo dlia polucheniia preparatov immunoglobulinov.

The distribution of antibodies to herpes simplex virus (HSV) in different kinds of biological raw materials has been studied with the use of the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The study has revealed that the content of herpes-specific antibodies in pooled placental and donor blood sera and in the preparations of commercial normal immunoglobulins is sufficiently uniform, and 7-10% of these sera and preparations have elevated titers of antibodies to HSV. Blood sera of individual donors are characterized by greater differences in the content of herpes-specific antibodies. About 10% of such sera have significantly greater titers of antibodies to HSV. From selected blood sera of individual donors with initially high titers of antibodies to HSV the preparation of antiherpes immunoglobulin has been obtained; the specific activity of this preparation is 4- to 6-fold higher than that of preparations of commercial normal immunoglobulins.

[Study of the adaptation resistance in bacteria to membrane active polypeptide antibiotics]. / Izuchenie adaptatsionnoi ustoichivosti bakterii i membranoaktivnym polipeptidnym antibiotikam.

Variants of Micrococcus lysodeikticus resistant to 100 micrograms/ml of gramicidin S with preserved resistance in subcultures on media without the antibiotic were isolated as a result of prolonged adaptation on a solid medium with increasing concentrations of gramicidin. The sensitive and resistant cells did not differ by their ability to bind gramicidin. Under the antibiotic effect permeability of the cytoplasmic membranes of the intact cells in the sensitive bacteria appeared to be impaired to a greater extent than that of the membranes of the cells in the resistant variant. Comparison of the lytic activity of gramicidin and its derivatives with respect to the protoplasts prepared with the cells of the initial and resistant variants of M. lysodeikticus revealed much higher resistance of the resistant variant protoplasts to the membrane-disorganizing effect of the preparations. Malate dehydrogenase and NADH-oxidase in the membrane preparations of the resistant variant cells differed from analogous enzymes from the membranes of the initial strain by the levels of their activity and sensitivity to gramicidin. It is likely that during adaptation of M. lysodeikticus to gramicidin significant changes in the cell cytoplasmic membranes occurred.

[Effect of salts on the lytic activity of gramicidin S and its derivatives]. / Vliianie solei na liticheskuiu aktivnost' gramitsidina S i ego proizvodnykh.

Potassium and sodium chlorides, sulfates, acetates and phosphates activated the lytic action of gramicidin S and its derivatives on protoplasts of M. lysodeikticus. The derivatives used were positively charged and neutral by the free amino groups in the ornithine moieties. The salts had no effect on lysis of the bacillar protoplasts by gramicidin S and its positively charged derivatives. The lytic effect of the neutral derivative on the bacillar protoplasts markedly increased in the presence of the salts, activation of the lysis by the phosphates being more pronounced than that by the other salts. Increased membrane activity of gramicidin S in the presence of the salts was not connected with association of the substance molecules in solution. Probably it was due to increased destruction of the membranes at the account of activated detergent effect of the antibiotic and its derivatives.

[Effect of phosphates on the membrane activity of gramicidin S]. / Vliianie fosfatov na membrannuiu aktivnost' gramitsidina S.

The membrane activity of gramicidin S against intact cells of staphylococci and micrococci determined by the loss of intracellular low-molecular compounds with the adsorption maxima at 260 nm by the bacteria markedly increased in the presence of phosphates. Acetate and hydrochlorides had no effect on the membranotropic action of the antibiotic. Analogous results were obtained for gramicidin S derivatives by free ornithine amino groups possessing basic and antibiotic activity. The increased membrane action of the antibiotic on the cells in the presence of phosphates was probably due to the changes under these conditions in the aggregate state of the substance in solution. With the use of labeled gramicidin S it was shown that centrifugation of the antibiotic solution in a concentration of 50-1000 micrograms/ml at 18000-20000 rpm resulted in sedimentation of a significant part of gramicidin S dissolved in the phosphate buffer. Sedimentation of the drug in aqueous and NaCl solutions was insignificant. The presence of phosphates in the medium had no effect on the quantity of the antibiotic bound to the micrococcal membrane preparations. It is suggested that the increase in the level of cytoplasmic membrane disorganization in the presence of phosphates was due to binding of the antibiotic molecule associations to the membranes and/or additional intermolecular association of gramicidin S bound to the membranes.