Effect of amino acids on the dispersion of disodium cromoglycate powders.

Modified disodium cromoglycate powders were prepared by co-spray drying with different concentrations of leucine, phenylalanine, tryptophan, methionine, asparagine, and arginine. Amorphous spherical particles of the same size and density where obtained which, however, exhibited different surface properties as measured by the inverse gas chromatography (IGC) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) techniques. The surface energy parameters, such as the dispersive component of surface free energy of the sample, gammaSD, and the total solubility parameter, delta, were significantly lower in the presence of nonpolar chain amino acids, particularly with leucine and phenylalanine, than pure DSCG. However no quantitative relationship between these parameters, the additive concentrations, and the fine particle fractions, FPF, determined for different inhalers and air flow rates, was observed. The FPF significantly increased with addition of leucine and this effect was attributed to reduced intermolecular interactions between leucine and disodium cromoglycate molecules, as indicated by the difference in corresponding Hansen solubility parameters. Decrease of interparticle interactions for leucine-containing powders also led to a lesser dependence of FPF on the flow rate and inhaler type.

Mapping and identification of the major cell wall-associated components of Mycobacterium leprae.

Mycobacterium leprae, an obligate intracellular pathogen, can be derived only from host tissue and thus affords the opportunity to study in vivo-expressed products responsible for the particular pathogenesis of leprosy. Despite considerable progress in the characterization of the proteins and secondary gene products of M. leprae, there is little information on the nature of the proteins associated with the cell envelope. M. leprae has been fractionated into its major subcellular components, cell wall, cytoplasmic membrane, and soluble cytosol. A number of biochemical markers, including diaminopimelic acid content, monosaccharide composition, mycolic acid, and glycolipid distribution, were applied to their characterization, and two-dimensional gel electrophoresis was used to map the component proteins. A total of 391 major proteins spots were resolved, and 8 proteins were identified based on their reactivity to a panel of monoclonal antibodies and/or relative pI size. Microsequencing of six protein spots present in the cell wall fraction allowed identification of new proteins, including the protein elongation factor EF-Tu and a homolog for the Mycobacterium tuberculosis MtrA response regulator. These results, together with previous studies, contribute to the progressive knowledge of the composition of the in vivo-expressed proteins of M. leprae.

A 66-kilodalton heat shock protein of Salmonella typhimurium is responsible for binding of the bacterium to intestinal mucus.

Salmonella typhimurium infections have increased during the last few years. However, the interplay of virulence factors in S. typhimurium pathogenesis is still poorly understood, particularly with regard to the mechanisms and components of the bacterium which are involved in its interaction with the intestinal mucus. We have observed that S. typhimurium is aggregated by incubation with colonic mucus (guinea pig model). To quantify this phenomenon, an aggregation assay was established. By using this assay, it was found that the aggregation profile of S. typhimurium strains freshly isolated from patients (age 9 and older) with salmonellosis correlated with the severity of the disease. An isolate with high aggregation behavior was chosen for characterization of the bacterial component involved in binding to colonic mucus material. The component of S. typhimurium responsible for aggregation was purified and characterized as a 66-kDa protein which was able to completely inhibit mucus-mediated bacterial aggregation. This protein was recognized by monoclonal antibodies against the 65-kDa heat shock protein (HSP) of Mycobacterium leprae. The 66-kDa protein of S. typhimurium was inducible by incubating the bacteria at 50 degrees C and was secreted into the supernatant, from which it could be isolated in both dimeric and polymeric forms. The monoclonal anti-HSP 65, as well as a polyclonal antibody against the 66-kDa protein of S. typhimurium, caused dose-dependent inhibition of the aggregation of S. typhimurium by crude mucus preparations. This is the first report showing that a bacterial HSP is involved in mucus-mediated interaction of pathogens with the host.

Adenosine triphosphate content of Mycobacterium leprae by percoll buoyant density centrifugation.

Thirty nine untreated patients of bacilliferous leprosy with a mean bacteriological index of 4.8 and morphological index of 1.3% formed the study group. Adenosine triphosphate assay was carried out by (i) enzyme treatment method in 18 patients and (ii) percoll buoyant density gradient method in 21 patients. ATP content obtained by percoll buoyant density gradient method was significantly higher than that obtained by enzyme treatment method. Percoll buoyant density centrifugation for purification and isolation of bacilli from human leproma is simplier, quicker and can serve as an alternate method of enzyme treatment.

A procedure for enrichment and isolation of mutants of the salt-tolerant yeast Debaryomyces hansenii having altered glycerol metabolism.

The salt-tolerant yeast Debaryomyces hansenii produces and accumulates glycerol when subjected to salt stress, whereby the buoyant density of the cells is changed. This property allows for enrichment of mutants with altered glycerol metabolism by density gradient centrifugation. Colonies derived from cells with rapidly changing density following an osmotic shock were screened for increased glycerol production by observing their ability to support growth of a glycerol-requiring strain of Escherichia coli. The glycerol overproducting phenotype of two isolates was confirmed by chemical analysis.

Separation of Mycobacterium leprae from contamination with armadillo-liver-derived "pigment" particles.

Mycobacterium leprae isolated from armadillo liver by the widely used IMMLEP protocol is sometimes contaminated with a particulate "pigment." This paper describes a simple, efficient, and rapid method for purifying large quantities of contaminated bacteria, which may readily be used as an additional step added at the end of the protocol when necessary. The process involves a discontinuous Percoll gradient and generates an essentially pure fraction containing greater than 90% of the original bacteria, and a fraction of "pigment" slightly contaminated with bacteria. Use of the system should release large additional numbers of pure M. leprae suitable for use in human vaccine trials.

Adenosine triphosphate content of Mycobacterium leprae isolated from armadillo tissue by Percoll buoyant density centrifugation.

A buoyant density centrifugation procedure using Percoll was developed for the isolation and purification of Mycobacterium leprae from experimentally infected armadillo liver tissue. The method separates the bacteria from host adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and tissue debris and recovers 20-25% of the bacteria within 2-2 1/2 hours under controlled conditions. The mean ATP content (585 pg/10(6] of the purified bacteria was similar to cultivable bacteria. The organisms did not leak intracellular ATP when exposed to phosphate buffer. Temperature-dependent ATP synthesis was observed within minutes and could be inhibited by 2,4-dinitrophenol. Freeze-thawing M. leprae as purified suspensions in buffer damaged the organisms, resulting in decreased ATP levels and an accelerated loss of ATP upon incubation under defined conditions. In vitro treatment with the antileprosy drug clofazimine increased the rate of ATP decay directly proportional to drug concentration.

Respiration in Mycobacterium leprae.

Fairly pure leprosy bacilli were easily collected from nude mouse foot pad lepromas by the Ficoll density gradient centrifugation and alkali treatment methods. The yield of bacilli available for biochemical study was 42.6%. The density of Mycobacterium leprae was very heterogeneous. The percent of solid bacilli in the light bacilli fraction was 23%; that in the heavy bacilli fraction was 40%. The endogenous respiration activity in the heavy bacilli was greater than that in light bacilli. The average coefficient of respiration in M. leprae was 1 microliter O2/mg X hr. In the whole cells of M. leprae, a cytochrome b1 absorption peak and its Soret peak were detected at wavelengths of 560 nm and 426 nm, respectively. However, a cytochrome a2-like peak (which was observed in M. lepraemurium), and a cyt c and cyt a were not detected. Catalase activity was not found in whole cells, the cell-free extract, or particle fractions of M. leprae. Any catalase activity associated with M. leprae suspensions is a tissue contaminant. NAD-peroxidase activity was also not detected in the cell-free extract of the leprosy bacillus. These results would indicate that leprosy bacilli cannot degrade hydrogen peroxide.

Use of a unit gravity sedimentation chamber for the purification of Mycobacterium leprae.

The present paper summarizes results concerning a mild isolation method of Mycobacterium lepraemurium and M. bovis-BCG from host tissues, and describes the application of such a method in purifying M. leprae (M1) from either infected armadillo tissues or human skin biopsies. This isolation method consists of homogenization, two-phase partition in dextranpolyethylene glycol and finally sedimentation in sucrose gradient using a unit gravity chamber. Such a purified M1 preparation appears to be devoid of host-tissue contaminants as examined by light and electron microscopy as well as by a radioimmuno spot test. The results indicate that the present method is mild enough to allow the purification of M1 from infected host tissues with in vivo conservation of antigenicity and viability of the bacilli.

Hanganutziu-Deicher antigen and antibody in pathologic sera and tissues.

Heterophile, Hanganutziu-Deicher (H-D) antigen was studied in pathologic sera by means of inhibition of agglutination of bovine erythrocytes by H-D antibodies. H-D antigen was demonstrated in 38% of random cancer sera, 25% of lymphoma or leukemia sera, 25% of leprosy sera, 8% of infectious mononucleosis sera, 6% of rheumatoid arthritis sera, and 27% of synovial fluids of rheumatoid arthritis patients. None of 134 normal human sera gave positive results. Some of the inhibition-positive cancer sera formed precipitation lines with H-D antibody-containing sera. Over 50% of various extracts of cancer tissues as well as spleens of lymphoma or leukemia patients were shown to contain H-D antigen by means of the inhibition test.