Cryopreservation of seeds and in vitro-cultured protocorms of Oncidium bifolium sims. (Orchidaceae) by encapsulation-dehydration.

Encapsulation-dehydration was employed for cryopreserving seeds and in vitro-cultured protocorms of Oncidium bifolium. Freshly harvested seeds, 120 days after pollination, were encapsulated in beads containing 1/2 MS medium with 3% sucrose and 3% calcium alginate and subsequently pretreated in agitated (80 rpm) liquid medium supplemented with 0.15 M sucrose (24 h) followed by 0.25 M sucrose (48 h), 0.5 M sucrose (24 h) and 0.75 M sucrose (24 h). The beads with seeds were dehydrated with silica gel for 5 h to 19.2% moisture content and immersed in liquid nitrogen for 1 h, thawed at 30 degrees C for 2 min, post-treated using the same series of liquid media [0.5 M sucrose (24 h), 0.25 M sucrose (48 h), 0.15 M sucrose (24 h)], and recultured on 1/2 MS medium with 0.1M sucrose and 0.7% percent agar. As much as 4.8% of the cryopreserved seeds produced complete plants. In-vitro cultured protocorms were successfully cryopreserved following the same procedure, allowing 11.3% of them to produce plants.

[Clinical effects of lividomycin on respiratory tract infections, primarily wet cases of bronchiectasis (author's transl)].

Patients with various respiratory infections, primarily wet cases of bronchiectasis, were treated with lividomycin (LVDM) at a dose of 1 g/day for about a week. The results obtained are as follows: 1. Of the 15 patients with refractory bronchiectasis who had previously been treated with various other antibiotics, 11 patients (73.3%) responded to LVDM. Although there was no patient who responded to LVDM excellently, good cures were achieved in 5 pateints and fair cures in 6 patients. 2. In bronchiectasis patients having infections in association with pulmonary tuberculosis (mixed infections), LVDM did not show any remarkable effects, excepting that fair cures were achieved in 3 patients. 3. In the 7 patients with acute bronchopneumonia, excellent, good and fair cures were achieved in 1, 5 and 1 patient, respectively. Although LVDM was effective in all of the patients with the said infection, the number of the patients responded excellently was meager and the onset of action seemed to be somewhat slow. 4. In one patient with lobar pneumonia, LVDM was not effective. 5. The MIC values of LVDM for clinically isolated various organisms are summarized below: Pseudomonas aeruginosa 50 mcg/ml, Klebsiella pneumoniae 3.13 to 6.25 mcg/ml, Haemophilis influenzae 1.56 to 6.25 mcg/ml, Diplococcus pneumoniae 50 mcg/ml, alpha-Streptococcus 50 to 100 mcg/ml, beta-Streptococcus 100 mcg/ml, and Staphylococcus aureus 1.56 mcg/ml. 6. In spite of the fact that a majority of the patients participated in this study were the aged, LVDM's side effects were limited to an increase of BUN (one patient) and eruption (one patient). Any noticeable changes in hepatic and renal function, hearing acuity, etc. were not observed. As indicated above, LVDM was effective against, respiratory infections as well as infections of the urinary tract on which a considerable number of research has already been reported. Thus, it is considered to be worthwhile to use LVDM for the treatment of respiratory infections.