Parasitic fauna of Polish konik horses (Equus caballus gmelini Antonius) and their impact on breeding: a review.

The influence of internal and external parasites on the health of Polish konik horses housed in different types of management strategies in Poland is discussed. This study includes consolidated data of different authors from the past 50 years, supplemented by results of more recent research. A total of 38 species of helminths (i.e., 37 Nematoda and one Cestoda) and five Diptera species were recorded from the horses. Protozoan parasites, Cryptosporidium spp. and Theileria equi, and the Rickettsiales, Anaplasma phagocytophilum, were observed for the first time in Poland.

A protein cross-reacting with anti-spectrin antibodies is present in higher plant cells.

Proteins that react with anti-human spectrin antibodies raised in rabbit were found in pea seedlings and leaves. The immunoreactive proteins seem to be associated with the membranes and can be extracted with low ionic strength solutions.

Preliminary studies on involvement of alpha-1-glycoprotein in the reaction of IgG-3 with leukocytes.

Alpha-1-glycoprotein (AGP) immobilized on Sepharose and human leukocytes, bound J125 IgG-3 and their fragments F(ab')2 at pH 7.0 and ionic strength 0.15. Increase in concentration of free AGP resulted in a release of the whole IgG-3 from AGP-Sepharose and a half of the bound IgG-3 from leukocyte surface. On the other hand, F(ab')2 fragments were released in both cases with 1% AGP. The binding of I125 F(ab')2 to leukocytes was suppressed by the whole non labelled IgG-3 molecules and their fragments F(ab')2. The remaining nonlabelled IgG and their fragments F(ab')2, despite their substantial excess, had no influence upon I125 F(ab')2 binding to leukocytes. AGP:I125 IgG-3 complex of the molar ratio 6:1 was shown to bind neither to leukocytes nor to AGP-Sepharose. A suggestion was put forward that AGP, which is anchored in leukocyte membrane, can participate in the binding of IgG-3 subclass. Instead, free AGP enables their release from cell surface.

Muscle adaptations and glucose control after physical training in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

Six men and three women with insulin-dependent diabetes (without complications) participated in physical training three times a week for 20 weeks. Physical training did not change the concentration of fasting blood-glucose, glucose excretion in urine or glucosylated haemoglobin (HbA1). However, the glucose disposal rate during euglycaemic clamp increased after training. In two patients a minor reduction of insulin dosage was necessary to alleviate slight hypoglycaemic episodes. The training resulted in significant increases in quadriceps isometric and dynamic strength and endurance. Maximal oxygen uptake increased by 8%, the activity of glycolytic enzymes in vastus lateralis muscle by 47% for hexokinase, and 30% for tri-osephosphate dehydrogenase and 25% for lactic dehydrogenase, the activity of oxidative enzymes by 42% for citrate synthase and 46% for 3-hydroxy-acyl-CoA-dehydrogenase. The glycogen concentration in the vastus lateralis muscle did not change significantly. Lipoprotein lipase activity did not change in muscle, nor in adipose tissue. The mean muscle fibre area increased by 25% and the area of FTa fibres by 30%. The new formation of capillaries around different muscle fibres was significant for FTb fibres (26%). The proliferation of capillaries, however, appeared to be insufficient to cope with the increased area of muscle fibres. As a result, the mean area of muscle fibre supplied by one capillary (a measure of diffusion distance) significantly increased after training for FTa fibres. It is concluded that with the exception of deficient proliferation of capillaries, patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus show a normal central and peripheral adaptation to physical training. Physical training does not apparently improve blood glucose control in most cases, despite an increased insulin sensitivity.

Protein A and acid alpha-1-glycoprotein as factors discriminating immunoglobulins G in children suffering from leukemias.

The studies on IgG-3 subclass in the course of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in children were performed. The presence of this IgG subclass was not shown, using chromatography on AGP-Sepharose for its isolation and Protein A-Sepharose for its identification. The possibilities of excretion of this IgG subclass with urine and proteolytic digestion in neutral pH by serum enzymes were excluded. Acid alpha-1-glycoprotein (AGP) isolated from serum of children with ALL interacts with IgG-3 of normal serum.

The effects of physical training on insulin secretion and effectiveness and on glucose metabolism in obesity and type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus.

Obese subjects with normal glucose tolerance (n = 55), and, in another study, a group of patients with Type 2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes (n = 33), and controls (n = 13) matched for body weight and age but with normal glucose tolerance, participated in an individualized physical training program for 3 months. Under controlled dietary conditions, metabolic studies were performed before and in steady state after the last exercise session after training in the subjects showing signs of physical training in VO2 max and heart rate measurements. No changes occurred in body weight, body cell mass, body fat or adipose tissue cellularity. Oral glucose tolerance was improved in the patients with diabetes mellitus only. In both diabetic and control subjects initially elevated C-peptide concentrations decreased, while low C-peptide values increased and which was particularly pronounced in diabetic subjects with subnormal values. Peripheral insulin values did not change. Glucose disposal rate measured with the glucose clamp technique was similar in diabetic patients and control subjects. An improvement was seen at both submaximal and maximal insulin levels in both groups, correlating with improvement in glucose tolerance in the diabetic subjects. No changes were found in adipocytes in insulin binding or the antilipolytic effect of insulin at submaximal insulin levels, but there was a normalization of a decreased glucose incorporation into triglycerides. These results indicate that both insulin secretion and effectiveness are altered by physical training in different ways in different clinical entities. They suggest that in insulin resistant conditions with high insulin secretion (as indicated by high C-peptide concentrations) the increased peripheral insulin sensitivity is followed by a decreased insulin secretion. This is not associated with an improvement of glucose tolerance. In Type 2 diabetes with low insulin secretion, an increased insulin secretion results from physical training, perhaps due to accompanying sensitization of the autonomic nervous system. Peripheral insulin concentrations are not altered, suggesting that the extra insulin produced is captured by the liver. This mechanism, as well as the improved peripheral insulin responsiveness seen in the whole body and also seen at the cellular level, probably both contribute to an improvement in glucose tolerance.

Non-response of muscle capillary density and lipoprotein-lipase activity to regular training in diabetic patients.

Ten obese women with normal glucose tolerance, 10 obese patients with sulphonylurea-treated non-insulin-dependent diabetes (NIDD) and 11 patients with insulin-dependent diabetes (IDD; treated for 3-31 yr) took part in a 10-week programme of physical training in 50-min sessions, 2-3 times a week. As a result of training, maximal oxygen uptake increased significantly by about 18, 13 and 8% in the 3 groups, respectively, and citrate synthase in muscle increased significantly by 27-42%. The lipoprotein-lipase activity in muscle tissue (sampled by a needle-biopsy technique from the lateral vastus muscle) did not change. The number of capillaries/fibre in muscle tissue increased. This was accompanied by an increase in muscle fibre area, resulting in an unchanged number of capillaries/mm2. This may explain why the lipoprotein-lipase activity was unaltered. The latter activity in the group with IDD was lower than was predicted from the number of capillaries/mm2. This number was in fact larger than in the obese and NIDD groups. These results indicate that the increase in capillary density and lipoprotein-lipase activity that occurs in healthy young individuals as an effect of endurance training does not take place in obese, NIDD and IDD patients.

Physical training in obese women. Effects of muscle morphology, biochemistry and function.

Peripheral adaptations to 3 months of physical endurance training without food restrictions were studied in skeletal muscles of 14, middle-aged, physically untrained, obese women. In comparison to aged-matched controls of normal weight, the obese group showed significantly lower isometric endurance. In the obese group, physical training resulted in a significant increase of maximal isometric and isokinetic strength. Isokinetic but not isometric endurance also increased after training. The isometric strength of obese women showed a positive correlation with the percentage of FTb fibres. The training (50 min/day, 3 days/w) did not result in any change in body weight, body fat, and the number and weight of fat cells. The 20% increase of VO2 max after training was found to be significantly correlated with the increase in the number of capillaries around muscle fibres. The relative percentage of FTa fibres, the number of capillaries per fibre as well as the activities of citrate synthase, 3-hydroxy-acyl-CoA-dehydrogenase, and hexokinase showed a significant increase after training. The concentrations of glucose during OGTT showed a trend to decrease with a significant decrease at the end glucose curve (120-min value). The concentration of insulin and C peptide and the insulin removal did not change after training. The changes in the concentration of glucose during OGTT was significantly correlated with the increase in muscle capillarization and of dynamic endurance.

Complexes of acid alpha 1-glycoprotein with immunoglobulins G in normal human blood serum.

DEAE-cellulose chromatography was applied for isolation of the complexes of acid alpha 1-glycoprotein (alpha 1-AGP) with immunoglobulins G (IgG). The heterogeneous glycoprotein fraction V was found to contain 75% of total alpha 1-AGP complexed with IgG3, as identified by Protein A-Sepharose chromatography. The results obtained indicate that in normal blood serum 30% of IgG3 and 75% of alpha 1-AGP are bound in the IgG3 - alpha 1-AGP complexes, whereas the remaining parts of IgG3 and alpha 1-AGP are present in free form.

Interaction of acid alpha 1-glycoprotein with immunoglobulins.

1. The acid alpha 1-glycoprotein (alpha 1-AGP) immobilized on Sepharose binds selectively only those immunoglobulins (IgG) of total serum proteins which are eluted either with 0.75 m-NaCl or free alpha 1-AGP. 2. alpha 1-AGP, upon partial enzymatic desialination, loses the ability to bind IgG, and does not acquire the ability to bind other serum proteins. 3. The interaction of alpha 1-AGP with IgG or fragments (Fab')2 depends on pH and ionic strength of the medium. At pH 7.2 and ionic strength of 0.15 alpha 1-AGP forms with IgG soluble complexes in which one molecule of IgG binds six molecules of alpha 1-AGP.

The influence of dimethylsulfoxide on level of serum sialoproteins in rats.

Intraperitoneal injection of DMSO in rats significantly lowered level of serum sialoproteins and caused appearance of seromucoid fractions devoid of NANA (asialoproteins). The influence of DMSO on sialoprotein metabolism in the liver is discussed.

Rat interferons. IV. Sialoproteins in rat serum.

Introduction of virus as inductor of interferon into rats caused a decline in serum levels of sialic acid in blood taken at the time of maximum interferon activity. Differences in the acute phase proteins were dependent on the type of virus used for induction. NDV injected intravenously did not lower serum levels of seromucoid, but given together with DMSO markedly depressed the content of this protein in the serum. Stimulation of interferon production by Sindbis virus was accompanied by a significant rise in levels of seromucoid. The same virus given together with DMSO had no effect on protein level, which remained normal, but lowered the content of sialic acid in proteins.