ALBERT

Notes: Abstract In order to describe the impact of corrosion of medical implants on the trace element balance of man samples of blood, serum and of a variety of tissues and organs were analysed for their trace element composition using instrumental neutron activation techniques. By the analysis of blood and serum the trace element status after long-term implantation as well as its dependence on time after implantation was investigated. Using autopsy samples of human organs such as heart, spleen, liver, of aorta and of lymphatic tissue from the lower pelvis transport and storage of the corrosion products was studided. These investigations were supplemented by a comprehensive study of “normal” human blood, serum, tissues and organs from patients without implants. The results demonstrate that there are high enrichments of corrosion products in several tissues and organs and that also blood and serum reveal the presence of the metal implants in the trace element levels, increasing shortly after implantation and pertaining during the entire implantation time. Thus the corrosion of metallic implants is a process not only affecting tissues from the vicinity of the implants but also influencing the trace element balance of the entire organism.

Notes: Abstract Protonaegleria westphali gen. nov. sp. nov., a free-living thermophilic amoeba of the family Vahlkampfiidae, isolated from a ditch near Bombay, India, is described. Amoebae moving by eruptive pseudopodial bulges were grown on agar plates. The division pattern of their nuclei was promitotic. In amoeba saline they transformed to flagellate stage with usually four flagella. In contrast toTetramitus the stage ofP. westphali flagellate has no cytostome. The large cysts produced by trophic amoebae only, are of theNaegleria type having prominent pores sealed with mucous plugs.

Notes: Abstract Investigation of the ultrastructure of Protonaegleria westphali has been carried out by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electronmicroscopy (TEM). SEM investigation demonstrated much enlarged trophozoites, flagellates and cysts corresponding to those under light microscopical observation. In situ fixation of moving trophozoites revealed attachment to the substratum by many uroidal and lateral filopodia. The typical flagellate stage has four flagella inserted two by two at the anterior pole of the cell. The smooth wall of cysts had prominent pores sealed by a mucous plug. Apart from their greater size, trophozoites and cysts resemble those of the genus Naegleria. Mitochondria are not as elongated as in the case of Naegleria; rather, they are round. The cyst is surrounded by a thick, layered endocyst (0.2–0.5 Μm) and a delicate ecotcyst loosely apposed to the endocyst. Both walls join at the region of the prominent pores, forming a characteristically thick collar. This, together with the pore structure (up to 1.0 Μm in diameter) places the amoeba in group I of N. gruberi, according to Pussard and Pons (1979). The flagellate state usually has four flagella which are anchored firmly by a prominent flagellar apparatus or mastigont at the anterior pole of the cell, comparable to that of the genus Tetramitus. The flagella show a typical 9+2 arrangement of microtubules (MT) and are surrounded by a sheath which is continuous with the cell membrane. Main elements of the mastigont could be demonstrated as typical kinetosomes of 0.75 Μm length. Each is closely associated with the cross-striated rhizoplast located perpendicular to it. The rhizoplasts, 2.5 Μm long and 70 nm in diameter, are directed towards the nucleus and terminate freely within the cytoplasm. Fibrillar sheaves or spurs, 0.4–0.6 Μm long and consisting of a single row of parallel microtubules with relatively heavy walls, are closely connected, with the kinetosomes as a supporting structure. The microtubules of the spurs are oriented parallel to the axis of the kinetosome. In contrast to the flagellates of Naegleria, those of the genus Protonaegleria are enveloped by parallel subpellicular MT spaced up to 85 nm apart and extending from the leading end of the cell to its rear. The nucleus of flagellates containing a large nucleolus was comparable to that of the trophozoite. Mitotic stages were not seen in the sections, nor was a cytostome as described in Tetramitus flagellates. The relationships of flagellates and of the genera Tetramitus and Naegleria are discussed with respect to their common features. We assume that Protonaegleria is related more closely to Naegleria than to Tetramitus, due to the morphological characteris of the flagellates and cysts.

Notes: Abstract The effects of dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO, final concentration 5%) and the deep-freezing process on the infectivity (ID50), motility, and ultrastructure of nontreated and DMSO-treated Trypanosoma cruzi suspensions (PSG-3 buffer with 10% horse serum) were investigated prior to and after cryopreservation in liquid nitrogen. DMSO equilibration caused distinct suppression of motility and characteristic, fine structural alterations in numerous organelles, such as myelin-like structures in the cytoplasm and/or inside the mitochondrial apparatus, enlargement of the perinuclear space, endoplasmic reticulum, and mitochondrial cristae, as well as condensation of the kinetoplast with loss of its lamellar structure. There was no evidence of loss of infectivity in DMSO-treated parasites. DMSO-treated and deep-frozen organisms showed, however, very similar fine structural alterations, although damage occurring during freezing and thawing was more pronounced. Apart from the frequently enlarged kinetoplast and the loosening of its mitochondrial matrix, numerous trypanosomes revealed total disintegration of the kinetoplast-mitochondrion complex with loss of its whole matrix. Deep-frozen trypanosomes were significantly less infective to mice than nontreated organisms, and their motility was strongly suppressed. These results suggest that cryopreservation and thawing of T. cruzi may lead to severe damage of the mitochondrial apparatus and thus to heavy disorders of metabolic function, exhaustion of the metabolic pool, and finally, to death of such damaged trypanosomes, despite the use of DMSO as a cryoprotective agent.

Notes: Abstract Fine structural changes ofTrichomonas vaginalis are described prior and after the freezing process in liquid nitrogen. Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) used as the cryoprotectant caused distinet alterations of the cytoplasm when trichomonads were equilibrated with 5% DMSO under various experimental conditions. Changes were bubble-like protrusions, fissuration and/or vacuolation of the cytoplasm, doubling and removal or/and rupture of the cell membrane. Apart from these findings cryopreservation caused marked alterations on the hydrogenosomes, such as condensation and flocculence of the usually homogenous contents; in addition numerous hydrogenosomes fused while loosing membrane at the site of fusion. However, several parasites revealed normal hydrogenosomes after the freezing process. It is assumed that these organisms survived freezing and thawing as demonstrated by successful cultivation of recovered trichomonads.

Notes: Abstract A total of 50Clostridium butyricum strains from clinical and nonclinical sources and 14C. beijerinckii strains originating from dairy products were analyzed for their plasmid content, antibiotic resistance, and bacteriocinogenic activity. The incidence of antibiotic resistance and presence of plasmidic DNA was more widespred among theC. butyricum strains from clinical source than among theC. beijerinckii strains, all of the originating from dairy products. In many of theC. butyricum strains, a small plasmid of 4.5 megadaltons was encountered. No relation was found between the plasmid pattern, the antibiotic resistance, the geographic localization of the isolates, or the clinical condition of the patients.