Alterations in brush border membrane proteins and membrane-bound enzymes of the tapeworm, Hymenolepis diminuta, during development in the definitive host.

During growth and maturation of the tapeworm, Hymenolepis diminuta, significant decreases occur in the brush border membrane-bound alkaline phosphatase, phosphodiesterase, 5'-nucleotidase, adenosine triphosphatase and ribonuclease activities. These decreases are accompanied by qualitative and quantitative changes in the polypeptide profiles of the brush border membrane fraction. Gradients of enzymatic activities and polypeptide profiles are also demonstrable when mature tapeworms are cut into pieces and the brush border membrane of each piece analyzed individually. In fully developed tapeworms the enzymatic activities and polypeptide profiles of membrane preparations reflect mainly the contributions of the more mature proglottids; these proglottids constitute most of the tapeworm biomass. The most anterior sections of these fully developed worms are biochemically similar to young, developing worms.

Pathologic changes in pigeons infected with a virulent Trichomonas gallinae strain (Eiberg).

Trichomonas gallinae, Eiberg strain, is a virulent hepatotropic flagellate parasite of pigeons. The parasite initially infects the upper digestive tract, causing the formation of ulcers, which allow it to enter the circulatory system. The trichomonads later gain access to the liver, where they cause the formation of caseous lesions. Vascular congestion and perivascular cuffing in the liver were seen as early as 4 days postinfection (PI). By day 7 PI, a marked reduction in abdominal fat and hepatosplenomegaly was evident. Hepatocytes underwent fatty degeneration (seen by day 7 PI) before total necrosis set in. On day 8 PI, trichomonads could be found among the necrotic hepatocytes in caseous lesions. These lesions were delineated by a wall of leukocytes and occasional giant cells. Nonimmune pigeons died within 14 to 17 days PI of liver dysfunction. Other organs (kidney and genitalia) were also seen to undergo degeneration. These manifestations probably reflect the progression of liver dysfunction.

Presence and localization of vinculin in Giardia.

A requisite element of pathogenicity in Giardia infections is the parasites' ability to adhere to the intestinal epithelial brush border. The presence of vinculin in Giardia was studied because this protein is known to link the cytoskeleton to the plasma membrane and is localized at adhesion foci in many cell-cell and cell-substrate contact sites. Actin, alpha-actinin, and vinculin were identified in Giardia by western blot analysis. Giardia trophozoites attached to glass substrates were examined by interference reflection microscopy (IRM) and immunofluorescence. The IRM defined the lateral crest, bare area, and overlap region of the ventral disk, as well as the ventrolateral flange and lateral shields as close contact areas between parasite and substrate. These close contact regions were then correlated with immunofluorescence localization of actin, alpha-actinin, and vinculin. Actin was seen in the lateral crest, while alpha-actinin was observed in the ventral disc periphery and lateral shields. Vinculin was viewed at the bare and overlap areas of the ventral disc and portions of the lateral crest, as well as the ventrolateral flange and lateral shields. The correspondence of close contact sites with vinculin localization suggests a role for vinculin in Giardia attachment and adherence.

Diagnosis and treatment planning for ceramic restorations.

Esthetic dentistry's intention is to deliver all phases of dentistry in a natural and attractive manner. Whether restorative and laboratory procedures or periodontal, orthodontic, or surgical procedures, ultimately the end results need to be natural in appearance and esthetically pleasing to the patient and dentist. The intention of this case study was to emphasize the relationship between the patient, dentist, and laboratory technician. The ability of all three to work efficiently demands incredible communication skills. A mutual respect in knowledge, desires, and skills creates the foundation to initiate this relationship. Communication skills and respect need to follow time-tested principles of restorative and prosthetic dentistry to be successful.

Three-unit bridge construction in anterior single-pontic areas using a metal-free restorative.

A new glass-ceramic material, IPS Empress 2, is revolutionizing esthetic restorative dentistry by allowing metal-free, three-unit bridge construction in anterior and premolar single-pontic areas. The case discussed in this article illustrates the material's application in the dual-arch restoration of a young woman with congenitally missing teeth. The material was used as an alternative to single-tooth implant restorations to place two maxillary three-unit bridges, one mandibular three-unit bridge, and two mandibular porcelain veneers. IPS Empress 2 provides an esthetic alternative to porcelain-fused-to-metal restorations by facilitating attractive, functional tooth restoration.

Multidisciplinary full-mouth restoration with porcelain veneers and laboratory-fabricated resin inlays.

Recent advances in dental materials, laboratory technology, and adhesive protocols have significantly expanded the contemporary restorative armamentarium. Utilized in combination with comprehensive treatment planning, these innovations enable clinicians to provide enhanced aesthetic care that achieves the increasing expectations of their patients. Using a detailed case presentation, this article highlights the harmonious integration of modern smile design, material selection, and interdisciplinary communication that must be addressed in order to deliver optimal treatment with porcelain laminate veneer and laboratory-fabricated resin inlay restorations.

In vitro effect of tinidazole and furazolidone on metronidazole-resistant Trichomonas vaginalis.

Trichomonas vaginalis is a common sexually transmitted protozoan parasite. Although often considered simply a nuisance infection, T. vaginalis has been implicated in premature rupture of placental membranes and increases in the risk of acquiring human immunodeficiency virus. Metronidazole, a 5-nitroimidazole, is currently the drug of choice to treat T. vaginalis infection. Because some patients have severe reactions to metronidazole and others are infected with metronidazole-resistant T. vaginalis, we were prompted to investigate alternative therapies. Tinidazole, another 5-nitroimidazole used in other countries to treat T. vaginalis infections, and furazolidone, a nitrofuran presently used to treat giardiasis and infections with some anaerobic enteric bacteria, were investigated for effectiveness against 9 metronidazole-susceptible and 12 metronidazole-resistant T. vaginalis patient isolates. The in vitro aerobic and anaerobic minimum lethal concentrations (MLC) and the time for drug efficacy were determined. Tinidazole killed the metronidazole-susceptible isolates at a low MLC but was effective against only 4 of the 12 metronidazole-resistant isolates. In contrast, furazolidone was effective at a low MLC for all isolates. When tinidazole was effective, it required > 6 h to kill trichomonads. However, furazolidone killed both metronidazole-susceptible and resistant trichomonads within 2 to 3 h of exposure. These data suggest that furazolidone may be a good candidate for treating metronidazole-resistant trichomoniasis and that further investigation of this drug is warranted.

A comparison of membrane-bound enzymes of the isolated brush border plasma membranes of the cestodes of Hymenolepis diminuta and H. microstoma.

Preparations of isolated brush border plasma membrane of Hymenolepis diminuta and H. microstoma possess the following enzymatic activities: alkaline phosphohydrolase (E.C. 3.1.3.1); Type I phosphodiesterase (E.E. 3.1.4.1); ribonuclease (E.C. 3.1.4.22); adenosine triphosphatase (E.C. 3.6.1.3); and 5'-nucleotidase (E.C. 3.1.3.5). The following enzymatic activities could not be demonstrated in either membrane preparation: Type II phosphodiesterase (E.C. 3.1.4.18); cyclic adenosine-3', 5'-monophosphate phosphodiesterase (E.C. 3.1.4.17); leucine aminopeptidase (E.C. 3.4.11.1); maltase (alpha-glucosidase; E.C. 3.2.1.20); and lactase (beta-galactosidase; E.C. 3.2.1.23). These data generally agree with those of previous studies in which similar membrane-bound enzymes were demonstrated in intact (living) worms.

Fibrillarin, a conserved pre-ribosomal RNA processing protein of Giardia.

The flagellated protozoan Giardia has been shown by 16S rRNA sequence analysis to be one of the most primitive of the eukaryotes. A gene encoding the protein fibrillarin, a pre-rRNA processing protein implicated in rRNA methylation and ribosome assembly, has been isolated. A genomic DNA fragment 1,240 base pairs long containing an open reading frame of 981 base pairs (327 amino acids) was sequenced. The deduced protein sequence of 35.3 kDa is similar to other known fibrillarin sequences. The Giardia sequence includes the amino terminal glycine/arginine rich domain characteristic of eukaryotic fibrillarins but is unique in having a large number of acidic residues in this domain. Phylogenetic analysis of the available fibrillarin sequences is consistent with the assignment of Giardia to a position close to the most primitive of the eukaryotes. A monoclonal antibody to yeast fibrillarin crossreacts with a 36 kDa polypeptide from Giardia on western blots and diffusely stains both nuclei of the organism by immunofluorescence microscopy. This result is consistent with the absence of well defined nucleoli in this organism. The evolutionary conservation of fibrillarin suggests an important function for this protein in ribosome biosynthesis, and this function appears to be maintained from the archaebacteria, which lack a nucleus, to Giardia, which contains a nucleus but lacks a prominent nucleolus, to higher mammals, which have both nucleus and nucleolus.

Molecular epidemiology of metronidazole resistance in a population of Trichomonas vaginalis clinical isolates.

Trichomonas vaginalis, the causative agent for human trichomoniasis, is a problematic sexually transmitted disease mainly in women, where it may be asymptomatic or cause severe vaginitis and cervicitis. Despite its high prevalence, the genetic variability and drug resistance characteristics of this organism are poorly understood. To address these issues, genetic analyses were performed on 109 clinical isolates using three approaches. First, two internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions flanking the 5.8S subunit of the ribosomal DNA gene were sequenced. The only variation was a point mutation at nucleotide position 66 of the ITS1 region found in 16 isolates (14.7%). Second, the presence of a 5.5-kb double-stranded RNA T. vaginalis virus (TVV) was assessed. TVV was detected in 55 isolates (50%). Finally, a phylogenetic analysis was performed based on random amplified polymorphic DNA data. The resulting phylogeny indicated at least two distinct lineages that correlate with the presence of TVV. A band-sharing index indicating relatedness was created for different groups of isolates. It demonstrated that isolates harboring the virus are significantly more closely related to each other than to the rest of the population, and it indicated a high level of relatedness among isolates with in vitro metronidazole resistance. This finding is consistent with the hypothesis that drug resistance to T. vaginalis resulted from a single or very few mutational events. Permutation tests and nonparametric analyses showed associations between metronidazole resistance and phylogeny, the ITS mutation, and TVV presence. These results suggest the existence of genetic markers with clinical implications for T. vaginalis infections.