Treponema strain PFB4G is a novel oral spirochete and one of the most frequently detected organisms in subgingival plaque samples from rapidly progressive periodontitis and adult periodontitis patients. In this study, a genomic library of Treponema strain PFB4G was constructed in lambdaZAP expression vector. One positive clone that carried a 2.6-kb fragment was identified by screening with chicken Ig Y (immunoglobulin yolk) antibody raised against whole bacterial sonicates. Nucleotide sequencing of the subclones revealed an open reading frame (ORF) lacking the 5'-end. This region was obtained by PCR amplification using a degenerative and a specific primer. A complete open reading frame of 1,770 bp was identified and the deduced polypeptide consisted of 590 amino acids with a molecular mass of 65 kDa. The polypeptide, designated as OmpTL, had a typical prokaryotic signal sequence (19 amino acids) with a potential cleavage site for signal peptidase I and showed a significant level of homology with the outer membrane proteins of other oral treponemes, especially with that of Treponema maltophilum. The isolation of the gene encoding an outer membrane protein may allow the study of their roles in future, possibly as adhesion, pore forming or induction of proinflammatory cytokine synthesis.
Amino Acids ; Chickens ; Chronic Periodontitis ; Clone Cells* ; Cloning, Organism* ; Genomic Library ; Humans ; Mass Screening ; Membrane Proteins* ; Membranes* ; Open Reading Frames ; Periodontitis* ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Protein Sorting Signals ; Sequence Analysis* ; Spirochaetales ; Treponema*

To investigate relationship between alpha1-acrenoceptors and nicardipine, an 1,4-dihydropyridine calcium antagonist, effects of nicardipine, on phenylephrinne(PE)-induced vasoconstriction in isolated arterial rings and pressor response of rabbits were observed. In normal physiological salt solution(NPSS), 35mM KCI produced persistent contractions of thoracic aorta and carotid artery and the contractions were dose-dependently inhoboted by cumulative admini-stration of nicardipine in the range of doses from 10(-10)M to 10(-4)M, IC50s of nicardipine in the thoracic aorta and carotid artery were 3.3x10(-7)M and 4.6x10(-7)M, respectively and there was no difference between both values. Constant contractions induced by 10(-5)M PE in both rings were inhibited by the same doses of nicardipine in a dose-dependent fashion. The IC50s were 2.8x10(-4)M in thoracic aorta and 2.9x10(-5)M in carotid artery respectively, and the former was about 10 times greater than the latter. In Ca2+ free PSS, KCI did not produce any contractionn. Though constant and reproducible in NPSS, PE-induced contraction was transient and not reproducible in Ca2+ free PSS. The contraction in both rings were weakened to about 70% of those in NPSS. Pretreatment with nicardipine in the range of doses from 10-8M to 10-5M hardly affected the PE-induced contraction and the largest dose 10(-4)M slightly inhibited the contraction. Intravenous injection of nicardipine 10 to 1000microg/kg decreased blood pressure and heart rate of rabbits in a dose-dependent manner. The % decrease of heart rate was much smaller in comparison with the %decrease of blood presseure. Pressor effect of 30microg/kg PE was dose-dependently inhibited after treatment with nicardipine 10 to 1000microg/kg and ID50 was 314microg/kg(6.1x10(-7)mole/kg). Above results suggest that nicardipine blocks extracellulr Ca2+ influx by membrane depolarization and in a part by alpha1-adrenceptors, then relaxes arterial smooth muscles in rabbits.
Aorta, Thoracic ; Blood Pressure ; Calcium ; Carotid Arteries ; Heart Rate ; Inhibitory Concentration 50 ; Injections, Intravenous ; Membranes ; Muscle, Smooth ; Nicardipine* ; Rabbits ; Vasoconstriction

No abstract available.
Child* ; Humans ; Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic*

No abstract available.
gamma-Globulins* ; Purpura, Thrombocytopenic, Idiopathic*

No abstract available.
Carcinoma, Renal Cell*

No abstract available.
Female ; Humans ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, Second*

No abstract available.
Coronary Artery Bypass* ; Coronary Vessels*

No abstract available.
Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli*

No abstract available.
Dilatation* ; Mammary Arteries* ; Transplants*

Puromycin aminonucleoside (PAN) nephropathy was induced in a group of Sprague-Dawley rat by a single dose of intraperitoneal injection to study an ultrastructural alteration of glomerular anionic sites by stain with polyethyleneimine (PEI) as a cationic probe and to examine whether proliferation of podocytes occur by immunohistochemical stain for proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). The experimental rats developed proteinuria three days after PAN injection. Electron microscopic studies of glomeruli showed the loss of epithelial foot processes, formation of cytoplasmic vacuoles, microvillous formation and increased numbers of lyso- somes in the cytoplasm of podocytes. PEI method seems to selectively stain heparan sulfate proteogly-can in basement membrane and has been widely used to evaluate the changes of basement membrane in human disease as well as in experimental work. The anionic sites on the basement membrane with foot process fusion were mostly indistinguishable from those seen in control rats, but focal areas of loss or disarray of anionic sites were noted. The anionic sites were not seen on the basement membrane where the overlying epithelium was detached. It is strongly suggested that proteinuria in PAN nephrosis may be primarily due to a glomerular epithelial lesion, leading to focal disarray of anionic sites or focal defects in the epithelial covering of the basement membrane. The loss of anionic s'ites in the basement mernbrane may be resulted partially from the foot process fusion and mostly from the epithelial detachment. The increased numbers of PCNA positive cells after the injection of PAN is suggestive of possibility of podocytic proliferation or regeneration.
Animals ; Basement Membrane* ; Cytoplasm ; Epithelial Cells* ; Epithelium ; Foot ; Heparitin Sulfate ; Humans ; Injections, Intraperitoneal ; Nephrosis ; Podocytes ; Polyethyleneimine ; Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen ; Proteinuria ; Puromycin Aminonucleoside* ; Puromycin* ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Regeneration ; Vacuoles