Analysis of a herpes simplex virus 2 fragment from the open reading frame of the large subunit of ribonucleotide reductase with transcriptional regulatory activity

Expression of herpes simplex virus 2 (HSV-2)-encoded ribonucleotide reductase (RR) is required for growth in nondividing cells. The functional enzyme is composed of a large and a small subunit. In virus-infected cells, RR is expressed temporally as a delayed early protein. However, the promoter regulatory region of the large subunit can function as an immediate early promoter in transient transfection assays, suggesting that expression may be quite complex. In this study, a 95-bp fragment derived from the open reading frame of the large subunit of RR (RR-A) functioned as a silencer when placed adjacent to a heterologous promoter. If the fragment was placed distal to the promoter, repression was relieved and in human keratinocytes promoter activity was consistently higher than control constructs. Exonuclease III protection assays revealed that nuclear factors from human keratinocytes as well as other primate cells specifically bind to this fragment. A 30-bp motif containing a consensus SP-1 binding site and an alternating Pu/Py element was protected in all cell lines. These results suggest that a 95-bp fragment in the open reading frame of HSV-2 RR-A plays a role in regulating viral gene expression.

[Demethyl-vancomycin in treatment of resistant staphylococcal infections. A clinical evaluation]

77 patients with serious resistant staphylococcal infections, including septicemia, lower respiratory infection, intraabdominal infection, skin and soft tissue infections and urinary tract infection, were treated with demethyl-vancomycin. 82% of the organisms were methicillin-resistant. Most of the patients had severe underlying diseases and were immunocompromised hosts. The infections were serious. The clinical efficacy rate was 73% and the bacteria clearance rate 68%. Mild adverse reactions happened in 11% of the patients and no obvious nephrotoxicity was noted. MIC90 of demethyl-vancomycin against staph. aureus was 2 micrograms/ml. All isolates in this study were highly susceptible to the drug. Demethyl-vancomycin was found more active against staphylococcus than the other 16 antibacterial agents, which are commonly used in this country. The indication and the use of the drug were discussed.

Characterization of primary human fibroblasts transformed by human papilloma virus type 16 and herpes simplex virus type 2 DNA sequences

Human papilloma virus type 16 (HPV-16) and herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) are human viruses implicated in the development of cancer, in particular cervical cancer. The ability of HSV-2 and HPV-16 to transform early passage human cells was examined in this report. For these studies, gingival fibroblasts were utilized. One gingival cell strain was derived from a normal individual (N-16). The second cell strain was derived from hyperplastic gingival tissue of an epileptic individual (R-30) treated with phenytoin, an antiseizure drug. A common side effect of phenytoin is the induction of gingival overgrowth. R-30 cells contained a stable chromosomal translocation between chromosomes 8 and 18 and expressed higher steady state levels of c-myc. HPV-16 DNA efficiently immortalized R-30 cells but not N-16 cells. R-30 cells cotransfected with HPV-16, and HSV-2 viral DNAs were more aneuploid than R-30 cells transfected with HPV-16 DNA alone. Additionally, R-30 cells cotransfected with both viral DNAs grew better in soft agar than R-30 cells transfected with HPV-16 DNA alone. HSV-2 DNA was detected in transformed cells by polymerase chain reaction. These results suggested R-30 cells were immortalized more efficiently by HPV-16 and further imply that HPV-16 and HSV-2 DNA fragments can cooperate during multistep transformation.

[Cryptosporidiosis in children in Wuhu]

From May to September 1989, a survey was carried out on the prevalence of cryptosporidiosis in the outpatients with diarrhea from paediatric department of five hospitals in Wuhu, Anhui Province. Cryptosporidium oocysts were identified in stool specimens from 67 of 3,498 outpatients (1.9%). No difference was found between the prevalence of cryptosporidiosis in males and that in females. No Cryptosporidium oocysts was identified in stool specimens from infants under 6-month-old. 86.2% of the cases were distributed in the age range from 7-month-old to 4-year-old. The prevalence of cryptosporidiosis in rural outpatients was two fold of that in urban outpatients. The occurrence of cases was highly sporadic. The prevalence began to rise from the last third of June. In our survey, 92.5% of the cases was distributed in the time range from the last third of June to September. In all of the cases no unique characteristic was found in clinical manifestations and stool appearance, and symptoms were resolved spontaneously. The duration of symptoms seems shorter than documented.

Functional analysis of human cytomegalovirus morphological transforming region II (mtrII)

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) transforming region II (mtrII), a 980-bp sequence, can transform rodent fibroblasts. This region contains three small potential open reading frames (ORFs) of 79, 83, and 34 amino acid residues. To identify the specific role of mtrII sequences in transformation, we investigated (1) the presence of mtrII DNA and mtrII-specific RNA transcripts in NIH 3T3 transformants and their tumor derivatives, and (2) the ability of mtrII DNA and its subregions to cis-activate chloramphenicol acetyl transferase (CAT) gene expression. By hybridization analysis, mtrII-specific DNA and RNA were detected in both transformed and tumor cells. A 285-bp sequence upstream of the ORFs in mtrII exhibited weak promoter activity when linked to CAT gene in the sense orientation with respect to the ORFs. Promoter activity of this region was stronger than the enhancer activity in the sense orientation. No promoter or enhancer activity was detected in the antisense orientation. The mtrII 980-bp sequence did not exhibit any promoter activity in either orientation. These results suggested that HCMV mtrII may contain a small transforming gene that may be transcribed at low levels from its own promoter.

[Selection of optimum technological conditions for vinegar-processing of fresh rhizoma Corydalis]

The Total alkaloid contents of chloroform extracts and aqueous decoctions of different vinegar-processed samples of fresh Rhizoma Corydalis were determined and compared using orthogonal experimental design. Two optimum schemes suggested by the results are 1. If aqueous decoction is wanted, the fresh tuber Corydalis should be scalded by hot edible vinegar till the liquid has permeated to its center; 2. If total alkaloid extract is required for making Chinese traditional patent medicine, the fresh Rhizoma should be slightly scalded with edible vinegar which has been diluted with an equal volume of water.

Longwave ultraviolet glass filter without transmission of infrared

A new bandpass glass filter has been developed which maintains good ultraviolet transmittance data without transmission of the infrared.

[Comparison of analgesic effect between locally vinegar-processed preparation of fresh rhizoma Corydalis and traditionally vinegar-processed rhizoma Corydalis]

Hot plate and writhing methods were used in the comparison of the analgesic effect of vinegar-processed fresh tuber corydalis and the traditionally vinegar-processed Rhizoma Corydalis. The result shows that the effect of the former is stronger than that of the latter.

[Chemical evaluation of vinegar-processing method for fresh rhizoma Corydalis]

Qualitative and quantitative analysis were carried out on the samples of Rhizoma Corydalis in both the locally vinegar-processed (fresh) and traditionally vinegar-processed forms. No difference was found in the main chemical constituents. However, both the total alkaloids and the corydalis B content of the former are higher than those of the latter.