The use of histological techniques for the demonstration of ion exchange resins. (1/144)

AIM: To establish the staining characteristics of certain ion exchange resins in histological material, with a view to enabling confident differential identification. METHODS: Various histological staining procedures were applied to selected pathological material and prepared agar blocks containing the cation exchange resin calcium polystyrene sulphonate and the anion exchange resin cholestyramine. RESULTS: Calcium polystyrene sulphonate uniquely stained strongly by a direct Schiff's reagent procedure without any preoxidation and by the Ziehl-Neelsen method. Cholestyramine was negative by the former method but stained strongly with a standard Congo red technique. CONCLUSIONS: These staining results are consistent with the known structure and properties of polystyrene sulphonate and cholestyramine resins. Polystyrene sulphonate resins have the virtually pathognomonic feature of direct Schiff positivity, while morphology, location, and strong non-birefringent Congo red positivity facilitate the identification of cholestyramine. It is possible that the intrinsic staining characteristics of cholestyramine may be lost once it has bound to its target.  (+info)

Nonbiological fractionation of iron isotopes. (2/144)

Laboratory experiments demonstrate that iron isotopes can be chemically fractionated in the absence of biology. Isotopic variations comparable to those seen during microbially mediated reduction of ferrihydrite are observed. Fractionation may occur in aqueous solution during equilibration between inorganic iron complexes. These findings provide insight into the mechanisms of iron isotope fractionation and suggest that nonbiological processes may contribute to iron isotope variations observed in sediments.  (+info)

Reconcentration of poliovirus from sewage. (3/144)

Virus can be adsorbed from effluents of sewage treatment plants on large-surface membranes. Subsequent elution of virus requires large volumes, which in turn requires reconcentration of virus for assay. However, reconcentration of such viral eluates on small adsorbent surfaces is difficult because certain soluble sewage components are adsorbed along with the virus on the initial virus adsorbent and are removed along with the virus by the eluent. Upon acidification of the initial eluate to reconcentrate the virus on smaller membrane surfaces, flocs are formed that interfere with the reconcentration process. To circumvent this problem, the interfering sewage components can be removed by activated carbon and ion-exchange resins. The virus is then readily reconcentrated on small membranes.  (+info)

Concentration and purification of enteroviruses by membrane chromatography. (4/144)

A simple procedure for the concentration and partial purification of enteroviruses from tissue culture harvests is described. After removal of acid-precipitating components with a cationic detergent, the detergent and most membrane-coating components were removed by treatment with a cationic-exchange resin. The resin effluent was then acidified, and the virus was adsorbed to epoxy-fiberglass membranes. Virus was then eluted with pH 11.5 glycine-NaOH buffer. Since this eluate contains no orgcentrated simply by acidifying the eluate and passing it through a smaller membrane than that used for the first concentration. As high as 500-fold concentrations can be achieved, with a high efficiency of recovery.  (+info)

Actin-like properties from Escherichia coli: concept of cytotonus as the missing link between cell metabolism and the biological ion-exchange resin. (5/144)

A protein fraction (A-L fraction) with characteristics reminiscent of muscle actin has been isolated from Escherichia coli. The A-L fraction undergoes reversible aggregation under the same conditions in which actin is polymerized and depends primarily on potassium for its polymerization. This fraction, upon electrophoresis on acrylamide gels in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate, exhibits a distinct peak at the characteristic molecular weight of 45,000. Passage of skeletal muscle myosin through the A-L fraction specifically removes this 45,000-molecular weight peak. Examination of the myosin by sodium dodecyl sulfate electrophoresis after the passage reveals a new band at the proper molecular weight. The A-L fraction from wild-type E. coli is compared with the protein from a potassium transport mutant. Important catalytic differences exist between the A-L fractions of the two strains. The A-L fraction from the mutant fails to polymerize in low-K media in the K+ concentration range in which the mutant fails to take up to K+. In low-K+ media, the parent strain accumulates potassium and the A-L fraction from this organism polymerizes. The cell swelling reaction of both strains has been studied. Parent cells swell during low-K+ uptake, whereas the mutant does not. It is construed from this that the differences in the characterization of the A-L fraction relative to that of the wild type are related to the loss of cell swelling in the mutant and hence to the loss in alkali cation selectivity. The possible role of contractile proteins in biological ion exchange is discussed.  (+info)

Acute colitis in the renal allograft recipient. (6/144)

Four renal allograft recipients with evidence of ischemic damage to the colon are presented and compared with 11 cases from 5 major series. Similarities in the patients included: deterioration of renal function, multiple immunosuppressive and antibiotic regimens, the use of cadaver renal allografts, and diagnostic and therapeutic measures requiring frequent enemas with barium and ion-exchange resins. Two of our patients underwent surgery for the removal of segments of necrotic colon after several weeks of fever and abdominal pain initially attributed to either acute rejection, viral infection, or pancreatitis. One patient had three days of melena and responded to non-operative therapy. The fourth patient developed ischemic colonic changes 10 weeks after allograft nephrectomy and was receiving no immunosuppression at the time. Broad spectrum antibiotics were used at various times in all patients. Early aggressive evaluation of gastrointestinal complaints--including barium enema, upper gastrointestinal series with small bowel follow-through, proctosigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy, and arteriography--is indicated, in view of the lethality of the complication of colonic ulceration. The clinical pictures presented emphasize the fact that recipients of renal allografts are commonly heir to many complications which may be considered rare in the normal population.  (+info)

The measurement of iron-binding capacity in serum and purified transferrin with the aid of chemical affinity chromatography. (7/144)

In a mew method for the estimation of transferrin by iron-binding capacity iron is added as the tartrate in NaCl with about 10 mM bicarbonate. The excess iron is removed by passage through DEAE-Sephadex A-50 previously treated with the iron chelator disodium catechol-3,5-disulphonate. The iron remaining bound to transferrin is measured without protein precipitation by the use of ferrozine. The method is applicable to fresh, frozen, or lyophilized serum, purified transferrin, and some quality control preparations. Validation experiments confirm that transferrin in serum and in pure solution is saturated with iron and give some evidence of specificity. The possible use of commercially available transferrin preparations as analytical reference standards is discussed.  (+info)

The losozyme from Asterias rubens. (8/144)

Lysozyme (mucopeptide N-acetylmuramylhydrolase) from Asterias rubens was obtained in a chromatographically and electrophoretically pure state by gel filtration and affinity chromatography. The quantitative amino acid composition, the molecular weight and the N-terminal sequence determined by a sequencer are reported. This new invertebrate enzyme presents important differences when compared to previously studied lysozymes.  (+info)