Avaliaçäo in vitro da fagocitose de Candida Albicans, sorotipos A e B, por macrófagos peritoneais ativados de camundongos isogênicos / An in vitro evaluation of Candida Albicans (serotypes A and B) phagocytosis, by activated peritoneal macrophages of isogenic mice

Tendo em vista a indefinida literatura em relaçäo aos macrófagos e à fagocitose de fungos e os resultados conflitantes frente a diversas metodologias empregadas, propusemo-nos, após o estabelecimento de um modelo experimental, estudar a fagocitose "in vitro" de Candida Albicans. Utilizamos para este estudo macrófagos peritoneais ativados, obtidos de camundongos isogênicos da linhagem A/Sn e duas cepas de Candida Albicans de diferentes procedências e sorotipos: ICB-12 sorotipo A e ICB-156 sorotipo B. Avaliamos a fagocitose pela contagem de macrófagos contendo em seu interior células vivas e/ou mortas, determinando-se o índice de fagocitose pela multiplicaçäo da porcentagem de macrófagos que fagocitaram e do número médio de leveduras por macrófagos. Valemo-nos de corantes vitais como vermelho neutro e fluorescentes (diacetato de fluoresceína e brometo de etídio), examinando o material à luz da microscopia de fase e fluorescência. Pudemos observar comportamento diferente dos macrófagos em relaçäo às duas cepas de C. Albicans estudadas, demonstrando porcentagem e índice maior de fagocitose dos macrófagos frente à cepa de C. Albicans ICB-12 sorotipo A quando comparada à cepa de C. Albicans sorotipo B, embora o número médio de leveduras por macrófagos fosse semelhante para ambas as cepas. Procurou-se, assim, proporcionar uma visäo sobre o destino de C. Albicans frente ao macrófago, devido aos vários aspectos ainda hoje näo totalmente definidos

Distribution of naturally occurring quinones.

Angiosperms, fungi (including lichens), and bacteria are the main sources of natural quinones. Small numbers are present in algae, ferns, conifers, sponges, echinoderms, other marine animals, and arthropods. In angiosperms quinones have some chemotaxonomic value at the genus and family level but more surveys are required.

Polysaccharides in fungi. XXVI. Two branched (1----3)-beta-D-glucans from hot water extract of Yu er.

Two water-insoluble glucans, U-3-N ([alpha]D +1.0 degree, 0.5 M sodium hydroxide) and U-3-AP1 ([alpha]D +2.5 degrees, 1 M sodium hydroxide) were isolated from hot-water extract of the fruiting bodies of Yu er (Chinese name) (Auricularia sp.). U-3-N and U-3-AP1 were investigated by a combination of chemical and spectroscopic methods. The results indicated that U-3-N (molecular weight, 6.1 x 10(5)) was similar to beta-(1----6)-branched (1----3)-beta-D-glucan (N-5P: molecular weight, 5.6 x 10(5)) isolated from the alkaline extract of the fruiting bodies, and U-3-AP1 (molecular weight, 6.3 x 10(4)) was beta-(1----6)-branched (1----3)-beta-D-glucan containing beta-(1----6)-linked D-glucopyranosyl residues. U-3-N showed potent anti-tumor activity against the solid form of sarcoma 180, although U-3-AP1 had little effect on the tumor.

Near-infrared spectrometry of microorganisms in liquid pharmaceuticals.

Biotechnology and pharmaceutical research have created a number of new and potentially life-saving drugs. Many of these drugs are formulated as injectable products. Some drug products do not survive autoclaving or other means of terminal sterilization. An aseptic filling process is typically used to sterilize such products, but it is less reliable than autoclaving, making detection of unsterile units even more essential. Invasive microbiological methods and turbidimetry are currently employed as inspection techniques. These processes are time-consuming, destroy product, and may not detect low levels of contamination. Near-IR light scattering is proposed as a new method of determining low levels of contamination noninvasively and nondestructively. The method is used successfully in the current study to detect contamination by a species of yeast, mold, and bacteria in intact plastic infusion bags at levels as low as three colony-forming units per milliliter for yeast. By use of the near-IR method, each injectable unit can be evaluated with its integrity maintained, allowing the product to be dispensed or evaluated by another analytical method.

Use of zoospore concentrations and life cycle parameters in determining the population of anaerobic fungi in the rumen ecosystem.

An indirect approach to quantification of the fibrolytic anaerobic fungi in the rumen is described. A mathematical model of the life cycle of anaerobic fungi, based upon observations of the life histories and growth kinetics of these organisms in vitro and in vivo, is constructed and solved in the steady-state to determine the population of particle-attached (substrate-associated) fungal thalli from the concentration of free-swimming zoospores in rumen liquid. The values obtained are broadly consistent with ruminal observations and with observations on faecal populations, which assume that a significant proportion of fungi leaving the rumen (as cysts or spores) can ultimately be accounted for in the faeces.

Relationship of airborne microorganisms with the lung function and leucocyte levels of workers with a history of humidifier fever.

An influenza-like illness appeared recently among workers in a plant processing synthetic yarn. A humidifier, a cold-water spraying system, was the suspected cause. Lung function changes over the day and week and changes in blood leucocytes were studied among the workers from the suspected department and two reference populations. Exposure to colony-forming units of bacteria and fungi and to endotoxins was also monitored. The workers from the suspected department had statistically significantly lower lung functions on the first workday of the week than the referents. Their blood leucocytes were also raised statistically significantly. The exposure to fungi, bacteria, and endotoxins differed significantly between the various departments, but the measured levels were low. It was concluded that the observed effects were suggestive of a "Monday morning fever" type of reaction and that adverse effects occurred at exposure levels lower than those found to date in the literature.

[Concentration and behavior of radiocesium in higher basidiomycetes in some Kanto and the Koshin districts, Japan].

Concentration of 137Cs, 134Cs and potassium were measured in several higher fungi and in substrates, soils, woods and litters in some Kanto and the Koshin districts, Japan, following the Chernobyl accident during October to November 1989. 137Cs concentrations in fungi were in the range of 0.7-101 Bq kg-1.fresh. Maximum 137Cs level in them was observed in Boletopsis leucomelas (Pers.: Fr.) Fayod. Significnatly higher levels of concentration ratios of 137Cs in fungi to substrates (e.g.; 137Cs concentration.fresh in fungus/137Cs concentration.dry in soil), 10(-1) to 10 x 10(-1), were found nearly 10 to 1000 times as much as leaf vegetables, root crops and potatoes to substrates. It was confirmed that levels of concentration ratios of potassium were similar to those of 137Cs. In all fungi, 134Cs which released from the Chernobyl accident and is not present in nuclear weapons fallout was not detected.

Determination of germanium in some plants and animals.

The Ge contents of plants and animals were investigated by a wet ashing procedure by hydride generation and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry with flow injection. The analytical results obtained indicated that Ge contents widely vary in plant and animal kingdoms in the range of 8-302 ppb.

Potent and specific inhibitors of protein kinase C of microbial origin.

Potent and specific inhibitors of protein kinase C have been found in streptomyces and fungi: Staurosporine, an alkaloid from Streptomyces sp., is the most potent inhibitor of protein kinases with an IC50 in the nanomolar range. UCN-01 (7-hydroxy staurosporine), isolated from Streptomyces sp., is a selective inhibitor of protein kinase C with antitumor activity. Calphostin, isolated from the fungus Cladosporium cladosporioides, specifically inhibits protein kinase C (IC50 = 0.05 microM) without inhibiting other protein kinases. Microbial metabolites appear to be a promising source of inhibitors that target signal transduction pathways of eukaryotes.

Neutral, alkaline and difference ultraviolet spectra of secondary metabolites from Penicillium and other fungi, and comparisons to published maxima from gradient high-performance liquid chromatography with diode-array detection.

The ultraviolet spectra of 6 predominantly secondary metabolites from filamentous fungi which, inter alia, are useful in the identification of the compounds after chromatography, were obtained in neutral (methanol) and alkaline solvents. Difference spectra were obtained by subtracting the neutral from the alkaline spectrum for each metabolite, using the spectrophotometer software. The data and method are of use in differentiating metabolites with similar chromophores. A database of the maxima was stored on a microcomputer for flexible storage, retrieval and updating of information. These data are compared to those published previously, obtained by diode-array detection using gradient high-performance liquid chromatography, which indicated that changes in solvent concentrations of the gradient affect the spectra of some metabolites. This could cause misidentification of chemosyndromes and metabolites which have been claimed to be of use in fungal chemotaxonomy.

Mycotoxins and toxigenic fungi on cereal grains in western Canada.

Toxins occasionally present on cereal grains in the field in western Canada include ergot alkaloids produced by Claviceps purpurea and trichothecenes produced by Fusarium species, particularly Fusarium sporotrichiodes and Fusarium graminearum. HT-2 toxin, T-2 toxin, diacetoxyscirpenol, and deoxynivalenol are the main trichothecenes encountered. During storage of cereals, the predominant toxins and toxigenic fungi are ochratoxin A and citrinin produced by Penicillium aurantiogriseum, P. chrysogenum, and P. verrucosum and sterigmatocystin produced by Aspergillus versicolor. The incidence of toxin-contaminated grains is extremely low relative to the volume of grains produced. Occurrence of toxins is influenced by field moisture, temperature, and bin storage conditions of a particular year. The risk of toxin production is highest in durum wheat and lowest in oats.

Mn-dependent peroxidase from the lignin-degrading white rot fungus Phlebia radiata.

A homogeneous Mn-dependent peroxidase (MnP) was purified from the extracellular culture fluid of the lignin-degrading white rot fungus Phlebia radiata by anion exchange chromatography. The enzyme had a molecular weight of 49,000 and pI 3.8. It was a glycoprotein, containing carbohydrate moieties accounting for 10% of the molecular weight. Mn-peroxidase was capable of oxidizing phenolic compounds in the presence of H2O2, whereas the effect on nonphenolic lignin model compounds was insignificant. MnP contained protoporphyrin IX as a prosthetic group. During enzymatic reactions H2O2 converted the native MnP to compound II. Mn2+ was essential in completing the catalytic cycle by returning the enzyme to its native state. The oxidation of ultimate substrates was dependent on superoxide radicals, O2- and probably on Mn3+ generated during the catalytic cycle. MnP exhibited high activity of NADH oxidation without exogenously added H2O2. It was shown to produce H2O2 at the expense of NADH.

Investigations on carotenoids in embryophyta X-the presence of carotenoids in some moss species from Brazil

Por meio das cromatografias de camada delgada e de coluna, a presença de carotenóides em sete espécies de musgos do Brasil foi estudada. As investigaçöes revelaram a presença dos seguintes carotenóides: lycoxanthin, ß-cryptoxanthin, lutein, zeaxanthin, hydroxyechinenone, canthaxanthin, astaxanthin, adonixanthin, lutein epoxide, antheraxanthin, mutatoxanthin, violaxanthin, luteoxanthin, neoaxanthin, ß-apo-2'-carotenal, B-apo-8'-carotenal e ß-apo-10'-carotenal. O conteúdo total de carotenóides variou de 3,35 em Sphagnum sp., a 9,80 mg/g de peso seco em Calymperis richardii

Prerequisites for the on-line control of microbial processes by flow injection analysis.

Problems associated with the use of biosensors in process control, e.g. difficulties of sterilization and sensor fouling, are shortly displayed, and possibilities to overcome them are outlined. The advantages of flow injection analysis (FIA) are demonstrated and examples for efficient sampling systems connected with this method are reviewed. Special emphasis is given to problem-orientated sample pretreatments, preventing fast inactivation of immobilized enzymes in the analysis system. Examples of problem-orientated sample pretreatment units are given. A proposal for a computer-controlled self-calibrating FIA system is given.

Inhibitory effects of mold oil including gamma-linolenate on platelet thrombus formation in mesenteric microvessels of the rat.

Diet including mold oil from a lipid accumulative fungus, containing gamma-linolenic acid, showed an inhibitory effect on thrombus formation in the microvessels of rats by the light/dye method of the authors. Male Wistar rats were fed for 3 to 4 weeks with two series of experimental diets and were examined for thrombus formation. The thrombus formation times to totally occlude, ts, were 347 sec for (mold + soybean)-oil and 236 sec for (palm + soybean)-oil in the first series of diets and 1288 sec for mold oil, 538 sec for olive oil and 575 sec for safflower oil in the second series of diets. Fatty acid composition of plasma, erythrocyte and liver lipids showed an increase in arachidonate content with the diet including the mold oil. Higher arachidonate content seem favorable in inhibiting thrombus formation with increasing PGI2 formation. In terms of the level of lipid hydroperoxides, indicated as a desaturation index of constituent fatty acids, the higher desaturation index with safflower oil gave shorter ts, which suggested some oxygen derived free radicals from polyunsaturated fatty acids were involved in the mechanism of thrombogenesis study by this method.