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Our study was designed to determine whether substances that appear in the serum during the course of liver failure have a detrimental effect on the passive permeability of the blood-brain [blood-cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)] barrier. Lactic acid, octanoic acid, and ammonia were infused into rabbits for 4 h. The permeability changes of the blood-brain barrier were quantified by infusing polyethylene glycol 400 (PEG 400) and measuring the quantity and average mol wt of the PEG 400 that entered the CSF. The lipid solubility and effective diffusional radius of the PEG molecules were also quantified to provide greater precision for measurements using this probe. None of the animals receiving toxic infusions became seriously ill during the infusions. Low dose infusions of lactic acid, octanoic acid, and ammonia increased the effective pore diameter of the blood-brain barrier from 7.3 A to an average of 8.5 A. The amount of PEG entering the CSF increased from 1.7 to 4.0 (p less than 0.025), 4.7 (p less than 0.025), and 6.7 (p less than 0.001) mmol/L, respectively. Rabbits with galactosamine-induced liver failure had 10.1 mmol/L PEG 400 in the CSF (P less than 0.001) before any evidence of cerebral edema. These changes occur soon after these toxins accumulate in the plasma and may alone or together with other toxins account for the permeability changes that allow neurotoxic substances to enter the brain during hepatic disease and encephalopathies such as Reye's syndrome.

Cell-free extracts of two strictly anaerobic mollicutes, Anaeroplasma intermedium 5LA and Asteroleplasma anaerobium 161T, were tested for enzymic activities of intracellular carbohydrate metabolism. Asteroleplasma anaerobium was also tested for enzymes of purine and pyrimidine metabolism. Both organisms had enzymic activities associated with the nonoxidative portion of the pentose phosphate pathway, and with the Embden-Meyerhoff-Parnas pathway. The 6-phosphofructokinase (PFK) of Asteroleplasma anaerobium was ATP-dependent, whereas the PFK of Anaeroplasma intermedium was PPi-dependent. The two anaerobic mollicutes also differed with respect to the enzymes that converted phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) to pyruvate; Anaeroplasma intermedium had pyruvate kinase activity, but Asteroleplasma anaerobium had pyruvate, orthophosphate dikinase activity (PPi-dependent). Both organisms had lactate dehydrogenase activity which was activated by fructose 1,6-bisphosphate (Fru-1,6-P2). Anaeroplasma intermedium had activity for PEP carboxykinase (activated by Fru-1,6-P2), but Asteroleplasma anaerobium did not. PEP carboxytransphosphorylase activity was not detected in either organism. Anaeroplasma intermedium had malate dehydrogenase and isocitrate dehydrogenase activities, but it had no activities for the three other tricarboxylic acid cycle enzymes examined; Asteroleplasma anaerobium had malate dehydrogenase activity only. Asteroleplasma anaerobium had enzymic activities for the interconversion of purine nucleobases, (deoxy)ribonucleosides, and (deoxy)ribomononucleotides, including PPi-dependent nucleoside kinase, reported heretofore only in some other mollicutes. Asteroleplasma anaerobium could synthesize dTDP by the thymine salvage pathway if deoxyribose 1-phosphate was provided, and it had dUTPase, ATPase, and dCMP kinase activities. It lacked (deoxy)cytidine deaminase, dCMP deaminase, and deoxycytidine kinase activities.

Summary: Cultures of the Mollicutes (mycoplasmas) Acholeplasma laidlawii B, Acholeplasma morum, Mycoplasma bovis, Mycoplasma arginini, Mycoplasma fermentans and Mycoplasma gallisepticum, representing four metabolic groups, were sampled at intervals over a 40 to 50 h period and assayed for the numbers of c.f.u., changes in pH and glucose concentration, and concentrations of ATP, ADP, AMP, lactate and pyruvate. The adenylate energy charge (ECA), the mean generation time, and the number of nmol of ATP (mg dry weight)−1 were calculated for cultures in the mid-exponential growth phase. The maximum cell concentrations ranged from 0.2 × 1010 to 5.0 × 1010 c.f.u. ml−1. Doubling times ranged from 0.34 to 3.29 h. The fermentative, non-arginine-requiring A. laidlawii B, A. morum, and M. gallisepticum, as well as the fermentative, arginine-requiring M. fermentans, utilized glucose and produced lactate and pyruvate. The non-fermentative, non-arginine-requiring M. bovis neither utilized glucose nor produced lactate or pyruvate. The non-fermentative, arginine-requiring M. arginini utilized glucose, but did not produce lactate or pyruvate. At mid-exponential growth phase, the average ECA of A. laidlawii B was 0.90, a value similar to that reported for Spiroplasma citri and other bacteria. In contrast, the average ECA of A. morum and the four Mycoplasma species was 0.70. In A. laidlawii B at mid-exponential growth phase, ATP accounted for 97% of the total adenylate nucleotide pool. At the same stage of growth, the average cellular ATP concentration of the other Mollicutes was significantly lower, ranging from 45 to 63% (P > 0·01). Excluding A. laidlawii B, the Mollicutes were relatively energy deficient during their mid-exponential growth phase. The diminished metabolic capacity may be related to the association of Mollicutes with living cells and perhaps to the cytopathic effects of these micro-organisms.

Enzymes of the Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas pathway and hexose monophosphate shunt were examined in cytoplasmic extracts of three serovars of Ureaplasma urealyticum. We found no glucose-6-phosphate or 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, hexokinase, phosphoglucose isomerase, aldolase, or lactic dehydrogenase activities. We failed to find cytochrome pigments in extracts and found no significant production of 14CO2 from [U-14C]glucose, nor did we find oxygen-dependent reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide oxidase activity. Lactic acid was found only at trace levels in spent culture fluids. Ureaplasmas are apparently nonfermentative and are unlike all other mollicutes in that they have no detectable oxygen-dependent reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide oxidase activity.

SummaryA technique is described for employing coverslip antigenic preparations of six species of mycoplasmas in immunofluorescent tests. When grown directly on coverslips in broth media, the colonies produced were small, uniform in size, evenly distributed over the coverslips, and fluoresced uniformly with a high degree of specificity. These factors reduced the size of antigen samples required for the unequivocal demonstration of serum dilution end-points with an attendant economy of time and reagents. Direct growth on cover-slips simplified the preparation of antigens and eliminated the introduction of media components or other contaminants into the preparations. The resultant purified antigens exhibited minimal cross-reactions between species, retained their reactivity after prolonged storage, and were adaptable to batch testing. Utilized in the direct fluorescent test, coverslip grown antigens provided a simple and relatively rapid means of identifying mycoplasmas. Their use in the indirect test appear...

SummaryThe role of lipoidal components of M. pneumoniae as antigenic determinants in vitro and in vivo is described.Sera with TRI or CF titers with lipid antigen of 8 or greater are usually positive in the ID test, suggesting that this test might be used as a screening test for antibody to M. pneumoniae.Since there is a high degree of correlation between TRI and CF titers when lipid extracts of M. pneumoniae are used as antigens, we feel that the lipid CF test will serve as an indicator of neutralizing antibody to M. pneumoniae.