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Biomedical subjects

J van der Plas

Publications and source records attributed to J van der Plas.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1998

Reduction of campylobacter infections in broiler flocks by application of hygiene measures.

Transmission routes of Campylobacter spp. in broilers and possibilities for prevention of infections were studied on two Dutch broiler farms. The occurrence of Campylobacter spp. was studied in successive broiler flocks, in the environment of the farms and in some of the parent flocks involved. Isolates of Campylobacter spp. were typed by using randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis. The results indicate that broiler flocks become infected from environmental sources. The typing results suggest that on one farm transmission of Campylobacter spp. occurred from cattle to broilers via the farmer's footwear. After several campylobacter positive broiler cycles hygiene measures, including thorough cleaning and disinfection procedures, change of footwear at the entrance of each broiler house, control of vermin and other hygienic precautions, were introduced on both farms in order to prevent transmission of Campylobacter spp. from the farm environment to the broilers. The results indicate that the application of hygiene measures significantly reduced campylobacter infections of broiler flocks on both farms.

Animal Husbandry↗
PubMed1997

The transmission of campylobacter in piggeries; an epidemiological study.

The campylobacter infection of 10 sows and their piglets was monitored. These pigs were kept on two multiplier farms. Rectal faeces samples were taken from the sows shortly before littering and at different intervals after littering. Swab samples of rectal content were taken from six piglets per sow at different intervals after birth. Nine sows were shown to be infected with campylobacter before litter and all sows after litter, with an average colony count of 4.1 in log N g-1 of faeces. Half of the piglets became infected with campylobacter during the first week of life and 85%, after four weeks. Two genetic subtyping methods (ERIC-PCR and RFLP) were used to study the relationships between campylobacter isolates from sows and piglets. A large diversity of campylobacter subtypes was found. Nevertheless, piglets and their mothers often harboured campylobacter isolates with identical genetic subtyping profiles, suggesting that piglets become infected via their mothers. However, observed similarities in genetic subtyping profiles between campylobacters isolated on different farms made this difficult to prove.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Campylobacter hyoilei Alderton et al. 1995 and Campylobacter coli Véron and Chatelain 1973 are subjective synonyms.

The taxonomic affiliation of Campylobacter hyoilei was reevaluated by examining a variety of phenotypic and genotypic criteria. Whole-cell protein electrophoresis and a comparison of 66 phenotypic characters revealed that reference strains of C. hyoilei were indistinguishable from Campylobacter coli strains. These data were confirmed by a DNA-DNA hybridization level of 67% between the type strains of the two species. Several species-specific assays based on PCR amplification or probe hybridization further substantiated that C. coli strains and C. hyoilei strains are indistinguishable. It is therefore concluded that C. hyoilei and C. coli represent the same species and that the former name should be regarded as a junior synonym of the latter name.

Bacterial Proteins↗
PubMed1995

Cardiovascular effects and changes in midbrain periaqueductal gray neuronal activity induced by electrical stimulation of the hypothalamus in the rat.

The effects of low-intensity electrical stimulation of sites in the hypothalamus and zona incerta (ZI) on mean blood pressure (MBP), heart rate (HR), and neuronal activity in the midbrain periaqueductal gray (PAG) were investigated in rats. Long-lasting depressor responses were elicited from 67 sites in the hypothalamus and ZI. Effects on HR were variable, except for the ZI where bradycardiac responses were evoked. The amplitude of the depressor responses was significantly correlated with baseline MBP on stimulation of the dorsomedial hypothalamic nucleus (DMH) or the dorsal hypothalamic area. Extracellular single-unit recordings were made from 94 PAG neurons. Most units were located in the ventral half of the PAG (62/94), where spontaneous firing rates were significantly higher than in the dorsal half: 12.5 +/- 1.4 spikes/s as compared to 6.0 +/- 0.9 spikes/s. Changes in PAG neuronal activity to both ipsi- and contralateral hypothalamic stimulation were observed. Most neurons were inhibited or unresponsive. There was no site specificity: responsive and unresponsive neurons were scattered throughout the PAG. Inhibition was most effectively evoked by stimulation of the DMH (25 out of 39 neurons) and the ZI (9 out of 15 neurons). In most neurons, the inhibition strictly followed the time course of hypothalamic stimulation. The results suggest that PAG as well as nonPAG pathways participate in the hypothalamic control of cardiovascular function.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Electrophysiological analysis of midbrain periaqueductal gray influence on cardiovascular neurons in the ventrolateral medulla oblongata.

Stimulation of sites in the rostral or caudoventral periaqueductal gray (PAG) results in substantial increases in mean blood pressure (MBP) and heart rate (HR). The efferent pathways from these PAG subregions possibly include a relay in the ventrolateral medulla oblongata (VLM), where neurons involved in maintaining vasomotor tone are located. Extracellular recordings were made from 21 cardiovascular neurons in the rostral VLM (RVLM) and from 6 cardiovascular neurons in the caudal VLM (CVLM) of the rat. These neurons showed barosensitivity and cardiac rhythmicity. In addition, the activity of 54 non- cardiovascular and nonrespiratory units was recorded. Responses to electrical stimulation of sites in the (rostral or caudal) PAG were studied in 16 of the 21 cardiovascular RVLM neurons, the 6 CVLM neurons, and 46 of the 54 noncardiovascular neurons. Eight of the RVLM neurons were excited by rostral PAG stimulation; the poststimulus time histograms showed a constant latency in live units (32 +/- 3 ms). This suggests the presence of relatively direct (although not monosynaptic) excitatory pathways from the rostral PAG to cardiovascular neurons in the RVLM, consisting of slowly conducting fibers (0.2-0.3 m/s). Five RVLM neurons did not respond to rostral PAG stimulation. Three units were tested with caudal PAG stimulation: one was excited, one inhibited, and one was unresponsive. The six cardiovascular CVLM neurons did not respond to PAG stimulation. Of the 46 noncardiovascular neurons, 14 cells were excited, 7 inhibited, and 2 cells antidromically activated. These results confirm earlier findings, extending them to the rostral PAG. They supply further evidence for the influence of the PAG on the cardiovascular function-related neuronal circuitry in the VLM.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Microbes in food processing technology.

There is an increasing understanding that the microbial quality of a certain food is the result of a chain of events. It is clear that the microbial safety of food can only be guaranteed when the overall processing, including the production of raw materials, distribution and handling by the consumer are taken into consideration. Therefore, the microbiological quality assurance of foods is not only a matter of control, but also of a careful design of the total process chain. Food industry has now generally adapted quality assurance systems and is implementing the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) concept. Rapid microbiological monitoring systems should be used in these cases. There is a need for rapid and simple microbiological tests which can be adapted to the technology and logistics of specific production processes. Traditional microbiological methods generally do not meet these high requirements. This paper discusses the tests, based on molecular biological principles, to detect and identify microbes in food-processing chains. Tests based on DNA technology are discussed, including in vitro DNA amplification like the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method and identifications based on RFLP, RAPD and DNA fingerprinting analysis. PCR-based methodology can be used for the rapid detection of microbes in food manufacturing environments. In addition, DNA fingerprinting methods are suitable for investigating sources and routes of microbial contamination in the food cycle.

Bacterial Typing Techniques↗
PubMed1993

Development of species-specific DNA probes for Campylobacter jejuni, Campylobacter coli, and Campylobacter lari by polymerase chain reaction fingerprinting.

The application of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) fingerprinting assays enables discrimination between species and strains of microorganisms. PCR primers aiming at arbitrary sequences in combination with primers directed against the repetitive extragenic palindrome (REP) or enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus (ERIC) motifs generate isolate-specific DNA banding patterns. Analysis of these PCR fingerprints obtained for 33 isolates of Campylobacter jejuni, 30 isolates of Campylobacter coli, and 8 isolates of Campylobacter lari revealed that besides generation of isolate-specific fragments, species-specific DNA fragments of identical size were synthesized. It appeared that these DNA fragments could be used as species-specific probes, since they are unique for the pattern which they are deriving from. The probes do not cross-react with amplified DNA originating from a large panel of nonrelated microorganisms. Moreover, these probes displayed species specificity, as they reacted with a single restriction fragment on Southern blots containing DNA from C. jejuni, C. coli, and C. lari and other Campylobacter species. This combination of PCR fingerprinting and probe hybridization results in a highly specific identification assay and provides an example of specific test development without the prior need for DNA sequence information. The principle of the procedure holds great promise for the rapid isolation of DNA probes which, in combination with a general PCR assay, may lead to efficient typing and detection procedures for a multitude of medically important nonviral microorganisms.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1991

Intracranial dialysis and microinfusion studies suggest that morphine may act in the ventromedial hypothalamus to inhibit female rat sexual behavior.

The present investigation examined the neural sites and mechanisms of opiate inhibition of female sexual behavior. Systemic administration of morphine (10 mg/kg) significantly reduced ovarian steroid-induced estrous behavior in female rats. This behavioral inhibition was prevented when the opiate receptor antagonist naloxone (5 mg/kg) was administered 30 min prior to morphine. Bilateral infusion of morphine directly into the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH) also inhibited hormone-dependent estrous behavior for at least 2 hr. Furthermore, naloxone infusion into the VMH 20 min before behavior testing reduced the inhibitory effects of systemically administered morphine on lordosis. These results suggest that morphine may inhibit female sexual behavior by acting directly on the VMH, the primary site at which ovarian steroids facilitate this behavior. In a separate experiment we used in vivo brain microdialysis to test the hypothesis that morphine inhibits lordosis by interfering with norepinephrine (NE) neurotransmission in the VMH. In control rats, the onset of mating was associated with increased NE release in the VMH. Morphine-treated animals displayed neither behavioral estrus nor elevated NE release from the VMH when tested with stimulus males. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that morphine suppresses NE release in the VMH. Nevertheless, mechanisms other than or in addition to attenuation of hypothalamic NE release may contribute to the inhibitory effects of morphine on lordosis.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Genomic integration system based on pBR322 sequences for the cyanobacterium Synechococcus sp. PCC7942: transfer of genes encoding plastocyanin and ferredoxin.

Synechococcus sp. PCC7942 recipient strains were constructed for the chromosomal integration of DNA fragments cloned in any pBR322-derived vector, which carries the ampicillin resistance (ApR) marker. The construction was based on the incorporation of specific recombination targets, the so-called 'integration platforms', into the chromosomal metF gene. These platforms consist of an incomplete bla gene (ApS) and the pBR322 ori separated from each other by a gene encoding an antibiotic (streptomycin or kanamycin) resistance (SmR or KmR). Recombination between a pBR322-derived donor plasmid and such a chromosomal platform results with high frequency in restoration of the bla gene and replacement of the chromosomal marker (SmR or KmR) by the insert of the donor plasmid. The integration into the platform depends on recombination between pBR322 ori and bla sequences only and is therefore independent of the DNA insert to be transferred. The desired recombinants are found by selection for a functional bla gene (ApR) and subsequent screening for absence of the chromosomal antibiotic marker. Gene transfer with this integration system was found to occur efficiently and reliably. Furthermore, the presence of the pBR322 ori in the platform allowed for 'plasmid rescue' of integrated sequences. The system was applied successfully for the transfer of the gene encoding plastocyanin (petE1) from Anabaena sp. PCC7937 and for the integration of an extra copy of the gene encoding ferredoxin I (petF1) from Synechococcus sp. PCC7942 itself.

Blotting, Northern↗
PubMed1989

A phase-II trial of recombinant interleukin-2 and 5-FU chemotherapy in patients with metastatic colorectal carcinoma.

Seven patients with metastatic colorectal cancer have been treated with a regimen involving an 120-hour continuous infusion of rIL-2, 3 x 10(6) mu/m2. Entry restrictions included a Karnofsky index of greater than or equal to 80%, and a measurable lesion. One patient died of peritonitis secondary to bowel perforation at the site of the unresected tumour. One patient abandoned treatment following a pulmonary embolism during the first rIL-2 infusion. Other side effects included, pyrexia, rigors, nausea, hypotension, oliguria, weight gain, thrombocytopenia, neuropsychiatric symptoms and prerenal renal failure. Two patients have shown a greater than 50% regression in the size of their tumours and 3 have stable disease. The use of 'humanized' monoclonal antibodies together with mononuclear cells from patients receiving IL-2 infusions may provide a useful way of killing tumour cells which are resistant to lysis by LAK cells.

Aged↗
PubMed1989

In vivo distribution and elimination of hemoglobin modified by intramolecular cross-linking with 2-nor-2-formylpyridoxal 5'-phosphate.

Modified hemoglobin solutions have potential application as plasma expanders with oxygen-transporting capacity. In a previous study it was found that modification of hemoglobin by intramolecular cross-linking with 2-nor-2-formylpyridoxal 5'-phosphate (NFPLP) improves the vascular retention time by a factor of three, and it also improves the oxygen-transporting properties. In the present study we investigated in rats how, after exchange transfusion of a clinically relevant dose, the modified hemoglobin (HbNFPLP) was distributed in the body compared with how the unmodified hemoglobin was distributed. By using a new technetium 99m labeling technique, we found in a scintigraphic study that accumulation of hemoglobin in the kidneys was greatly diminished by the intramolecular cross-linking with NFPLP. These findings were confirmed by light-microscopic observations after diaminobenzidine staining. It was concluded that the impairment of kidney function caused by blockade of the tubuli is not to be expected from HbNFPLP. In the liver and spleen, where the free HbNFPLP is possibly eliminated, some accumulation of 99mTc label was observed, but the major part of the extravascular label was diffusely spread throughout the body. This led to the conclusion that important accumulation of undegraded HbNFPLP does not occur in the liver and spleen. Rapid appearance of both hemoglobin and HbNFPLP in the lymph showed that cross-linking with NFPLP does not prevent the distribution of hemoglobin over the interstitial space in the first hours after administration. However, pharmacokinetic analysis demonstrated that transcapillary transfer contributes only to a limited extent to the disappearance from the circulation. During 24-hour infusions of HbNFPLP, a steady state with a constant plasma concentration was easily reached. The latter experiment indicated that the eliminating system does not become saturated during prolonged administration of large doses of HbNFPLP.

3,3'-Diaminobenzidine↗
PubMed1986

Prolonged vascular retention of a hemoglobin solution modified by cross-linking with 2-nor-2-formylpyridoxal 5'-phosphate.

The usefulness of hemoglobin solutions as plasma expanders with oxygen-carrying capacity is limited by a high oxygen affinity and a rapid clearance from the circulation. A large amount of the hemoglobin is cleared by the kidneys, because the hemoglobin can pass the glomeruli after dissociation into dimers. This dissociation can be prevented by cross-linking the beta chains with 2-nor-2-formylpyridoxal 5'-phosphate (NFPLP), a modification that also diminishes the oxygen affinity. In the present study, the vascular retention of modified hemoglobin (HbNFPLP) compared with unmodified hemoglobin (Hb) was investigated in rats and rabbits by replacing half the blood volume with a mixture of Hb and HbNFPLP (7 gm/100 ml). The amount of free hemoglobin in the circulation was determined from the plasma concentration, corrected for the decrease in plasma volume. The decrease in plasma volume was calculated from the increase in hematocrit (in the rats, 30% to 40% in 3 hours). The ratio Hb/HbNFPLP was determined by high-performance anion-exchange chromatography. The half-disappearance times for HbNFPLP and Hb were found to be 3 hours and 1 hour in rats and 7 hours and 2.5 hours in rabbits, respectively. In the rats, one third of the unmodified Hb was found in the urine 5 hours after the exchange, against only 5% of the HbNFPLP. In rats without kidneys, the ratio of Hb/HbNFPLP in the circulation remained constant. The results demonstrate that intramolecular cross-linking of hemoglobin with NFPLP prevents excretion by the kidneys, but does not influence other clearance mechanisms.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Binding of [3H]flunitrazepam and [3H]spiperone to melanoma cell membrane preparations.

Binding of [3H]flunitrazepam and [3H]spiperone to membrane preparations isolated by high speed centrifugation of hamster, rabbit and human melanoma cell homogenates was analyzed. All melanoma cell types expressed a high density of specific binding sites for [3H]flunitrazepam (3-4 pmol/mg protein) with a high affinity (Kd about 30 nM). This binding was independent of melanin content of cells and could be classified, based on competition experiments, as a Ro 5-4864-like binding type. Specific [3H]spiperone binding to these cell lines clearly revealed at least two types of binding sites: a low affinity, high capacity type of binding site (Kd greater than 100 nM, Bmax about 50 pmol/mg protein) and a high affinity, low capacity binding site (Kd less than 1 nm, Bmax 30 fmol/mg protein). Binding of spiperone to the low affinity, high capacity site appeared displaceable by NM 113 and dependent on melanin content of the cells and probably represents binding to melanin. Analysis of drug binding to melanoma membrane cell preparations and correlation with drug effects should include the possible involvement of binding to melanin.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Oxygen affinity of hemoglobin solutions modified by coupling with NFPLP and the effects on tissue oxygenation in the isolated perfused rat liver.

From these liver perfusions with Hb and Hb/HbNFPLP solutions the following conclusions can be drawn: In spite of the chemical modification of the hemoglobin molecule, no rheological differences are seen. All parameters measured were sensitive to hypoxia induced by a decrease in perfusion flow rate. The NFPLP-induced decrease in oxygen affinity was reflected in a higher venous PO2. These in-vivo observations are in agreement with the in-vitro measured oxygen dissociation curves. The difference in PO2 did not result in a change in the other oxygen-sensitive parameters in this model under the chosen conditions. Possible causes for these observations are: the level of hypoxia was too low the oxygen supply in the perfusions with the modified hemoglobin solutions was lower than the oxygen supply in the perfusions with normal hemoglobin. Whether or not this observation is due to an intrinsic property of the modified hemoglobin molecule remains to be established.

Animals↗