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Biomedical subjects

L de Montigny

Publications and source records attributed to L de Montigny.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

The role of the eaeA gene in diarrhea and neurological complications in a gnotobiotic piglet model of enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli infection.

We reported previously that mutation of the chromosomal gene eaeA from enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) serotype O157:H7 prevented bacterial attachment in vivo. Attachment was restored when the EHEC or enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) eaeA gene was introduced into the mutant on a plasmid. In this communication we have compared in gnotobiotic piglets the pathogenicities of wild-type O157:H7 strain 86-24 and its eaeA mutant UMD619 with those of the two plasmid-complemented strains expressing IntiminO157 (EHEC) and IntiminO127 (EPEC). 86-24 colonized the surface and glandular epithelium of the large intestine and induced diarrhea, while UMD619 did not colonize any intestinal site and induced little or no diarrhea. Surprisingly, strain UMD619 expressing IntiminO127 behaved in pigs more like EPEC than EHEC strains; it colonized the distal half of the small intestine and the surface of the large intestine, inducing serious diarrhea. In contrast, strain UMD619 expressing IntiminO157 colonized the colon extremely poorly, inducing little or no diarrhea. While only the two strains causing extensive attachment--86-24 and UMD619 expressing IntiminO127--induced diarrhea, neurological symptoms attributed to Shiga-like toxin II occurred equally in all four groups of animals. The intimate bacterial attachment and mucosal damage were not a prerequisite for Shiga-like toxin II translocation from the gut lumen into the circulation. IntiminO127 appears not only to facilitate intimate attachment to cells but also to influence the site of intestinal colonization and other characteristics of EPEC infection.

Adhesins, Bacterial

Decrease of motoneuron excitability during stretching of the human soleus.

Changes of motoneuron (MN) excitability was studied during the basic modalities of slow or static stretching of the human soleus muscle (Sol). Tendon (T) and Hofmann (H) reflexes were recorded during slow passive (assisted) stretching (SS). The H response was analysed in SS, in SS preceded by a maximal isometric contraction of the muscle or contraction-relaxation (CR) and during stretching of the muscle by contracting the antagonistic muscle (AC). The maximal joint mobilization during SS, CR and AC appears to be closely related to the decrease of the H response. It is suggested that the joint mobilization during slow stretching is closely controlled by the level of inhibition of the MN pool excitability, which lasts only as long as the stretching manoeuvre is maintained.

Adult

Electro-mechanical failures and lactate production during fatigue.

The electrical and mechanical failures observed during sustained and intermittent electrically triggered (30 Hz) contractions of human flexor carpi ulnaris were compared with the blood lactate concentration. The changes recorded during contractions sustained for 60 s were compared with those observed during a series of sixty 1 s contractions separated by 1 s intervals, and also with the changes during the first 30 min of recovery. No significant (P less than 0.05) difference in force reduction or maximal venous lactate concentration was observed in either fatigue test, although electrical failure differed significantly (P less than 0.05). The recovery of electrical failure was poorly correlated with the reduction in lactate concentration following both sustained (r = -0.70) and intermittent contractions (r = 0.72). In contrast, the recovery in tetanic tension, rate of tension development and time to half relaxation correlated closely with the reduction in venous lactate concentration (r = -0.95, -0.93 and 0.96 respectively). It is suggested that, of the peripheral processes which appear to play a dominant role in peripheral fatigue, lactate production controls mechanical failure directly.

Action Potentials