Influence of a cigarette smoke extract on the hormonal regulation of platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase in rats

We evaluated the effects of estrogen, progestin, and cigarette smoke extract (CSE) on plasma platelet-activating factor (PAF) acetylhydrolase (AH; PAF-AH) activity in rats. The effects on rat tissues of an i.v. injection of PAF were studied as part of our investigation of the mechanisms involved in thrombotic episodes. Plasma PAF-AH activity in adult female rats (14 wk of age) treated with 17 alpha-ethynylestradiol (100 micrograms/kg, 5 days) was decreased by 70%. Medroxyprogesterone (50 mg/kg, 5 days) increased PAF-AH activity by 50%. CSE (0.5 cigarette/kg, 5 days) did not alter PAF-AH activity during the treatment. However, a combination of CSE and 17 alpha-ethynylestradiol decreased plasma PAF-AH activity by 90%. The decrease in PAF-AH activity was age-dependent. The effect of medroxyprogesterone on plasma PAF-AH activity was not influenced by CSE. When PAF (5-40 nmol/kg) was injected i.v. into untreated adult female rats, 9 of 16 animals died after a 20-nmol/kg dose of PAF. Macroscopic findings included hemorrhage, hyperemia, and congestion in the lungs and heart, and necrosis-like changes in the gastrointestinal tract. Microscopically, thrombi were observed in the lungs and heart. When PAF was administered to adult female rats pretreated with sex steroid hormones, the mortality of rats with low plasma PAF-AH activity caused by 17 alpha-ethynylestradiol was increased but that of rats with high PAF-AH activity caused by medroxyprogesterone was decreased. Thus, PAF and PAF-AH may play important roles in the thrombotic episodes known to occur in female smokers who use oral contraceptives.

Changes of hepatic microsomal oxidative drug metabolizing enzymes in chronic renal failure (CRF) rats by partial nephrectomy

Male SD rats, 7-weeks-old, were used to investigate the changes in the hepatic drug metabolizing system of chronic renal failure (CRF) model rats. Partial nephrectomy (5/6) was performed in a two-stage surgical procedure. After nephrectomy, the rats were housed under regular conditions at least 21 days. After confirming the CRF states, trimethadione (TMO, 100 mg/kg, i.p.) was administered for evaluation of the hepatic drug metabolizing capacity; the ratio of dimethadione (DMO: the only metabolite of TMO) to TMO (DMO/TMO) in the serum and the dialysate from the blood microdialysis method were ascertained. The hepatic drug metabolizing enzyme contents and activities were also determined. In the CRF rats, the DMO/TMO ratios decreased significantly; total cytochrome P450 (CYP) contents, aminopyrine N-demethylase activity and delta-aminolevulinic acid synthetase activity also decreased significantly in the CRF rats. The extent of the alterations of these enzyme contents and activities correlated well with the severity of the CRF states evaluated by the serum blood urea nitrogen and creatinine concentrations. With Western blot analysis, the levels of CYP2C6, CYP2C11 and CYP3A2 decreased considerably in the CRF rats. These results suggest that CRF states induce not only a reduction of renal function but also an alteration of hepatic metabolism.

[ACTH-independent bilateral adrenocortical macronodular hyperplasia (AIMAH): report of a case]

We treated a case of ACTH-independent bilateral adrenocortical macronodular hyperplasia (AIMAH), a rare disease. The patient was a 49 year-old man having chief complaints of facial edema, muscle wasting and typical Cushing's syndrome symptoms. He was diagnosed with AIMAH by specific hormonal tests for Cushing's syndrome and CT scan. Bilateral total adrenalectomy was performed in a two-stage operation for bilateral macronodular adrenocortical hyperplasia. The resected adrenal tumor weighed 57 g on the right side and 78 g on the left, and both had a yellowish nodular surface. The histological appearance was typical AIMAH. A total of 23 AIMAH reported cases was reviewed.

Deficiency of blood coagulation factor XIII in Crohn's disease

OBJECTIVE

Refractory fistula formation is one of most intractable complications in Crohn's disease. Recently, the role of blood coagulation Factor XIII has been recognized as an important wound-healing factor. We investigated the plasma concentration and functional activity of blood coagulation Factor XIIIa, active subunit of the Factor XIII, in patients with Crohn's disease and in healthy volunteers.

METHODS

Peripheral blood was obtained from 24 patients with Crohn's disease and from 10 healthy volunteers. The functional activity of Factor XIIIa was measured by its transglutaminase activity, and plasma concentration was measured by the immunoelectrophoresis method.

RESULTS

The differences in Crohn's disease patients and healthy volunteers were not significant. However, Crohn's disease patients with fistula had significantly lower functional activity than Crohn's disease patients without fistula.

CONCLUSIONS

The deficiency in this wound-healing factor might be one reason for refractory fistulas in Crohn's disease, and supplementation of the factor might be useful therapeutically.

Formation of 6 beta-OH-deoxycorticosterone from deoxycorticosterone by A6 cells

We have investigated the metabolism of deoxycorticosterone in A6 cells, a continuous cell line derived from the kidney of Xenopus laevis. A6 cells at confluence were incubated with serum-free culture media containing 2.5 microM [3H] deoxycorticosterone. When radioactive compounds in incubation media were separated by reverse-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography, the formation of polar metabolites was observed. One component of polar metabolites cochromatographed with 6 beta-hydroxydeoxycorticosterone. In order to identify this component more rigorously, large scale cultures were performed and this compound was separated and purified by reverse-phase high-pressure liquid chromatography. The purified material was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, secondary ion mass spectrometry, and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. These procedures revealed that this material was 6 beta-hydroxydeoxycorticosterone.

[Clinical usefulness of pediatric population parameter of slow-releasing preparation of sodium valproate]

We predicted the serum level of a slow-releasing preparation of sodium valproate (VPA-SR) in 9 children with epilepsy by pediatric population parameter obtained previously or by two adult parameters. The accuracy of prediction was evaluated as an absolute error standing for the difference between the measured and the predicted serum concentration in each patient. The mean absolute error (MAE) based on the pediatric population parameter was 5.5 +/- 5.2%, although MAEs from two adult parameters were 13.8 +/- 9.9 and 15.1 +/- 9.2%, respectively. Statistical analysis revealed that the pediatric population parameter was significantly more accurate for the prediction to serum concentrations. In conclusion, the pediatric population parameter was greatly useful for pharmacokinetic analysis of VPA-SR by Bayesian method in children with epilepsy.

Hyperresponse in calcium-induced insulin release from electrically permeabilized pancreatic islets of diabetics GK rats and its defective augmentation by glucose

In spontaneously diabetic GK rats, insulin secretion from pancreatic beta cells in response to glucose is selectively impaired, probably due to deficient intracellular metabolism of glucose and impaired closure of KATP channels during glucose stimulation. By using electrically permeabilized islets of GK rats, we explored the functional modulations in exocytotic steps distal to the rise in [Ca2+]i in the diabetic condition. At 30 nmol/l Ca2+ (basal conditions) insulin release was similar between GK and non-diabetic control Wistar rats. In response to 3.0 mumol/l Ca2+ (maximum stimulatory conditions), insulin release was significantly augmented in permeabilized GK islets (p < 0.01). Raising glucose concentrations from 2.8 to 16.7 mmol/l further augmented insulin release induced by 3.0 mumol/l Ca2+ from permeabilized control islets (p < 0.001), but had no effect on that from permeabilized GK islets. The stimulatory effect of glucose on insulin release from permeabilized control islets was partly inhibited by 2,4-dinitrophenol, an inhibitor of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (p < 0.01). The hyperresponse to Ca2+ in GK islets may play a physiologically compensatory role on the putative functional impairment both in [Ca2+]i rise and energy state in response to glucose in diabetic beta cells, and may explain the relative preservation of insulin release induced by non-glucose depolarizing stimuli, such as arginine, from pancreatic islets in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

No evidence for mutations in a putative subunit of the beta-cell ATP-sensitive potassium channel (K-ATP channel) in Japanese NIDDM patients

The ATP-sensitive K channel (K-ATP channel) in pancreatic beta cells is believed to play a crucial role in glucose-stimulated insulin release. We investigated whether defects in the recently cloned gene for a putative subunit of this channel (KATP-2) could be a cause of diabetes in Japanese patients. The coding region of this beta-cell type channel gene was investigated in 192 diabetics with a family history of the disorder by single-stranded conformational polymorphism (SSCP) analysis. Two silent polymorphisms were found and confirmed by sequencing, but no missense or nonsense mutations were detected. The allele frequency of the polymorphisms was compared with 96 control subjects without a family history of the disease, and no clear difference was found. These results indicate that genetic defects of the KATP-2 channel may not be a major cause of diabetes in Japan.

Daily excretion levels of an unidentified ketosteroid in the urine of patients with Cushing's syndrome and healthy subjects measured by a new method

We developed a new method for measuring an unidentified ketosteroid glucuronide (US-G) detected by the method of Iwata et al. for measuring 17-ketosteroid glucuronides by reversed phase HPLC on a Capcell-Pak C8 column with three kinds of mobile phase solutions (Iwata method; Clin Chem 35: 795-799, 1989). The Iwata method inadequately separated US-G and two hydroxy 17-ketosteroides, 11 beta-hydroxyetiocholanolone and 11 beta-hydroxyandrosterone, and it exhibits insufficient sensitivity for measuring traces of US-G in the urine of healthy subjects. We solved these problems by developing a new method which measures US-G in urine, as a free type by hydrolyzing the glucuronide type enzymatically, by normal phase HPLC on a Capcell-Pak Silica column with one kind of mobile phase solution. By this method, the levels of US excreted as a glucuronide in the urine of healthy subjects and of patients with Cushing's syndrome were determined as proportions of the levels of 11 beta-hydroxyandrosterone. The average daily urinary excretion of US was 971 micrograms (125-4,995 micrograms) in patients with Cushing's syndrome (n = 22: two males and 20 females aged 26 to 65 years), and 34 micrograms (0-141 micrograms) in healthy subjects (n = 63: 49 males, and 14 females aged 21 to 54 years), and the differences were clearly significant. However, there were no differences between the urinary US levels of patients with pituitary adenoma and patients with adrenal adenoma. Furthermore, no US was detected in the urine of patients with aldosteronism (two males and eight females aged 34 to 61 years).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Spinal cord protection during thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repair: results of selective reconstruction of the critical segmental arteries guided by evoked spinal cord potential monitoring

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the results of spinal cord protection based on selective reconstruction of the segmental arteries.

METHODS

Twenty-one patients who underwent repair of aneurysms (nine descending thoracic and 12 thoracoabdominal: three type I, six type II, and three type III) were analyzed. Ten patients had postdissection aneurysms. Operative techniques consisted of evoked spinal cord potential (ESP-dsc) monitoring and femorofemoral bypass in all cases, segmental resection in 12, and mild systemic hypothermia in eight. Arteries critical for cord blood flow were selectively reconstructed; if ESP-dsc showed change after resection of an aortic segment, arteries originating from this segment were reconstructed.

RESULTS

ESP-dsc change was observed in 12 patients. Arteries found to be critical were at the T8-L1 level in all but three cases. Selective reconstruction was performed in 10 of these 12 patients. ESP-dsc change could be reversed before reconstruction in four cases, three by control of back-bleeding critical arteries. Selective reconstruction resulted in return of ESP-dsc in seven other patients. Spinal cord injury occurred in five patients, two of whom did not undergo selective reconstruction.

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that our current technique allows determination of critical arteries but does not completely prevent injury.

[Positive and negative effects of progestins on platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase activity in rat plasma]

Platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase (PAF-AH), the enzyme that inactivates PAF, is regulated by steroid hormones including progestin. It has been reported that 17 alpha-ethynylestradiol decreases plasma PAF-AH activity and medroxyprogesterone increases the enzyme activity. In this study, we elucidated the effects of various progestins on plasma PAF-AH activity and lipoprotein cholesterol levels. Plasma PAF-AH activity in female adult rats treated with either progesterone or 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone (50mg/kg, 3 days) did not change significantly. Both medroxyprogesterone and megestrol acetate (50mg/kg, 3 days) significantly increased plasma PAF-AH activity, but both norethindrone acetate and norethynodrel (50mg/kg, 3 days) significantly decreased the enzyme activity. In addition, not only did medroxyprogesterone increase plasma PAF-AH activity but plasma lipoprotein cholesterol and norethindrone acetate decreased both of them. A significant correlation between plasma PAF-AH activity and the lipoprotein level was found (r = 0.974, p < 0.01). When PAF (10nmol/kg) was administered to female adult rats pretreated with progestins, the mortality of the rats that had low plasma PAF-AH activity due to norethindrone acetate was increased in the same manner as observed in the 17 alpha-ethynylestradiol-pretreated group. These findings indicate that progestins have various effects on plasma PAF-AH activity and the lipoprotein level. In addition, some progestins, which have an estrogenic effect on enzyme activity, may be related to the thrombotic episodes observed in oral contraceptive users.

Immunochemical characterisation and epitope mapping of a novel fimbrial protein (Pg-II fimbria) of Porphyromonas gingivalis

Mouse monoclonal antibody (mAb) Pgf-II specific for a 72-kDa major cell-surface protein (72K-CSP) derived from Porphyromonas gingivalis OMZ 409 was prepared. Immunoblotting analysis revealed that mAb Pgf-II reacted with 72K-CSP but not with 41-kDa fimbrial subunit protein (41K-fimbrilin) derived from P. gingivalis 381. Electron microscopic observation revealed that P. gingivalis OMZ 409 possessed peritrichous, thin fimbriae on their surface. Immunogold electron microscopy also demonstrated that mAb Pgf-II bound to the 72K-CSP examined with the gold particles arranged along the fibril array originating from the cell surface of the bacteria. These findings suggested that P. gingivalis 72K-CSP was identifiable as another fimbriae (termed Pg-II fimbriae) different from the fimbriae (termed Pg-I fimbriae) composed of a 41K-fimbrilin. Using multipin peptide synthesis technology, 102 sequential overlapping peptides covering the entire 514 amino-acid stretch of Pg-II fimbriae were synthesised. Seven immunodominant regions within Pg-II fimbrial protein molecule, which definitely reacted with the serum of patients with periodontal diseases, were detected.

Abnormal behavior in adiabatic calorimetry of set dental stone

Dehydration in set dental stone was studied by employing specific heat measurements. Dehydration proceeds in two steps in air. In the case of bulk samples, especially those made with a lower water-powder ratio, three endothermic reaction stages are observed; a reaction of the dihydrate to the hemihydrate is apparently separated in two, one of which is not inherent. It is thought that the occurrence of a new peak is due to the difficulty for the dehydrated water to escape, depending on the porosity of the set stone.

Alterations in coagulation and fibrinolysis after surgery for aortic aneurysm

We investigated the alterations in the coagulation and fibrinolysis systems after aortic aneurysm surgery under cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) while using newly developed "molecular markers". Fibrinogen and antithrombin III (AT-III) decreased after surgery but returned to normal values within three days. The thrombin-antithrombin III complex (TAT) and plasmin-alpha-2-plasmin inhibitor complex (PIC) both showed increased values even preoperatively, which indicated that coagulation and fibrinolysis were activated in some patients with an aortic aneurysm. Both markers maintained a high level for at least 14 days after surgery. The fibrin degradation product (FDP) also showed an increased value before and after surgery. These results apparently showed that coagulation/fibrinolysis had already been activated in some patients and maintained such a state for at least 14 days after surgery. The relation of activated system and postoperative organ dysfunction as well as the means to suppress such activation are also discussed.

[Current advances and future direction of arthroscopic surgery for disorders in the knee joint]

An aim of this paper is to report current advances and future direction of arthroscopic surgery for disorders in the knee joint. Recently, advances of operative techniques and improvement of surgical instruments allow almost all disorders in the knee joint cavity to be arthroscopically treated. Patients of the age greater than 3 years can undergo this surgery. Arthroscopic surgery involves release of synovial malformation, capsular strung, and postoperative adhesion, removal of free bodies, excision of benign tumors, partial synovectomy, multiple drilling or pinning of osteochondral lesions, partial or total meniscectomy, plastic resection of bony spurs, repair of the torn menisci and ligaments, reconstruction of ligaments and menisci, and etc. Arthroscopic surgery has many advantages compared with open surgery: First, more precise operation can be performed in arthroscopic surgery, resulting in better final outcome, because this surgery gives rather wider visual field for intraarticular operation. Secondly, arthroscopic surgery is less invasive. Therefore, patients have less postoperative pain and adhesion, quickly regain the normal range of knee motion, and early return to the normal activities. Thirdly, operation scar after arthroscopic surgery is more acceptable for patients from the cosmetic viewpoint. There are few disadvantages in arthroscopic surgery if well-trained surgeons carefully operate patients according to the correct indications of this surgery. In the near future, arthroscopic surgery will be more frequently and wide-spread performed in Japan. Therefore, instructional and training systems for arthroscopic surgeons should be established as soon as possible. Improvement of the hardware involving arthroscopes and surgical instruments may be one of keys for future advances of arthroscopic surgery.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[A case of focal encephalitis with psychological symptoms similar to chorea minor]

We reported a patient with choreic movements, emotional lability, and compulsive-obsessive behavior that developed 4 weeks after onset of fever and lasted for several years. There was no evidence of streptococcal infection or rheumatic fever. T2-weighted MRI showed hyperintense lesions in the bilateral caudate nuclei and putamina. A diagnosis of focal encephalitis was made according to initial fever, convulsion, and CSF pleocytosis. Treatments with haloperidol and prednisolone were effective in some degree. The neurobehavioral syndrome as well as the involuntary movements in this patient can be attributed to the striatal damage, which may disrupt the basal ganglia-limbic-frontal lobe tracts. A symptomatic similarity between the syndrome in this patient and chorea minor suggests a striatal damage in chorea minor, where the causative lesions remain unknown.

Neutrophil-independent myocardial dysfunction during an early stage of global ischemia and reperfusion of isolated hearts

The effect of global ischemia and reperfusion on the expression of cytokine genes and cell adhesion molecules by myocardial tissues and neutrophils was studied by using the Langendorff model. Although cardiac function deteriorated after reperfusion of ischemic hearts, there was no evidence of inflammation and myocardial degeneration, which is in contrast to previous findings that neutrophil-mediated inflammation is a critical step in post-ischemic reperfusion injury in regional ischemia. Flow cytometry analysis demonstrated that the global ischemia and reperfusion did not affect the expression of adhesion molecules on neutrophils. We also examined the expression of various cytokines which are involved in inflammatory responses. Only interleukin 1 alpha was induced after the reperfusion of the ischemic hearts. These results suggest that neutrophils barely contribute to the myocardial dysfunction and IL-1 alpha may play a role in post-ischemic myocardial dysfunction during the early stage of reperfusion.

Micturitional disturbance in myotonic dystrophy

Micturitional disturbance has attracted little attention in myotonic dystrophy, but detailed micturitional histories revealed that two out of six patients (33%) had micturitional symptoms. One had difficulty urinating and the other had urinary frequency, urgency and stress incontinence. Urodynamic studies were performed in all patients and the results were as follows: Two had low maximum urethral closure pressure, two had large and three had small bladder capacities, one had detrusor hyperreflexia and one had atonic cystometrogram. Urethral sphincter electromyography revealed a decreased bulbocavernosus reflex in one, and an absent anal reflex in two. Motor unit analysis of external sphincter was performed with one patient and showed polyphasic potentials. Dystrophic changes of the lower urinary tract muscles, as well as supranuclear type of pelvic nerve dysfunction, could cause micturitional disturbance in patients with myotonic dystrophy.

[Current state in heart transplantation]

The Registry of the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation reported that 31,157 transplantations were performed throughout the world until 1993, including 26,704 heart transplantations, 1,567 heart-lung transplantations, 1,943 single lung transplantations and 943 bilateral or double lung transplantations. Heart transplantations were carried out at two hundred fifty-one institutes in the world and more than 3,000 patients received heart transplantations every year. The number of heart transplantations, however, became plateau in 1988 and since 1991 the number of operations rather decreased because of the shortage of donor hearts. Indications for adult heart transplantation include coronary artery disease in 47.2% and cardiomyopathy in 43.5%, representing the most frequently reported indications. Retransplantations represent only 2.3% of the total heart transplantations. The results for heart transplantation reveal that the 1, 3, 5, and 12-year actuarial survival are 80%, 72%, 64% and 40%, respectively. Comparing the data before and after 1982 when cyclopropane was introduced for transplantations, a substantial improvement in actuarial survival is obtained. For instance, 3-year actuarial survival before 1981 was 40% whereas since 1982 3-year actuarial survival is improved up to 75%. However, the patients in the older age (more than 65 years old) and pediatric patients, particularly less than one year old, have a significant reduction in outcome compared with younger adult patients and the outcome of heart retransplantation was still poor. Because of the shortage of donor heart quite a large number of patients develop hemodynamic deteriorations before transplantation and mechanical assist device is one of strategies to treat these patients as bridge to heart transplantation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Effect of dexamethasone and prednisolone on insulin-induced activation of protein kinase C in rat adipocytes and soleus muscles

We examined the effect of glucocorticoids on [3H]2-deoxyglucose ([3H]2-DOG) uptake, [125I]insulin binding, tyrosine kinase activity, and protein kinase C (PKC) activity in rat adipocytes and soleus muscles. In adipocytes, insulin-stimulated [3H]2-DOG uptake was decreased by prior 60-minute treatment with dexamethasone (DEX) or prednisolone (PSL), whereas [125I]insulin binding, insulin (INS) receptor autophosphorylation, and tyrosine kinase activity, as measured using exogenous substrate of poly(Glu80-Tyr20), were not significantly changed. Cytosolic PKC activity decreased and membrane-associated PKC activity increased during a 60-minute treatment of adipocytes and soleus muscles with DEX or PSL, indicating that both DEX and PSL stimulate the translocation and activation of PKC. However, pretreatment of adipocytes and soleus muscles with glucocorticoids resulted in reduced INS-stimulated translocation of PKC from cytosol to membrane. INS-induced decreases in cytosolic PKC activity (50% +/- 7% v 10% +/- 8% and 20% +/- 7%, P < .05 to .01, for nonpretreated [control], DEX pretreated, and PSL pretreated cells) and increases in membrane PKC (100% +/- 10% v 50% +/- 9% and 20% +/- 9%, P < .01, for control, DEX pretreated, and PSL pretreated cells) were larger in nonpretreated adipocytes than in adipocytes pretreated with glucocorticoids. These results raise the possibility that glucocorticoids, namely, DEX and PSL, stimulate the translocation and subsequent degradative downregulation of PKC, and that this may be pertinent to their inhibitory effects on INS-stimulated glucose transport.

Mapping of murine Th1 and Th2 helper T-cell epitopes on fimbriae from Porphyromonas gingivalis

Th1- and Th2-derived cytokine production in response to synthetic peptides of the fimbrial subunit protein (fimbrilin) from Porphyromonas gingivalis strain 381 was assessed in spleen mononuclear cells (MNC) of BALB/c mice (H-2d haplotype) immunised with the fimbrial protein antigen and adjuvant GM-53 in Freund's incomplete adjuvant (FIA). Sixty-seven sequential overlapping 10-mer peptides covering the complete 337 amino-acids (AA) protein of P. gingivalis fimbrilin were synthesised. Stimulation of spleen MNC in vitro with these 10-mer peptides resulted in the production of murine interleukin-2 (IL-2), gamma-interferon (IFN-gamma), IL-4, IL-5 and IL-6. Peptides 13 (AA 61-70), 24 (AA 116-125), 31 (AA 151-160) and 64 (AA 316-325) markedly induced IL-2 production. In particular, peptide 24 (DPLKIKRVHA), which contained I-Ad, I-Ed and I-Ak binding motifs, was the most potent stimulator of IL-2, IFN-gamma, IL-4, IL-5 and IL-6 production. Spleen MNC from C3H/HeN mice (H-2k) followed by BALB/c mice (H-2d) immunised with peptide 24 were high responders to peptide 24 in terms of both IFN-gamma and IL-4 production, whereas A/J mice (H-2a) and C57BL/6 mice (H-2b) were very low responders, P. gingivalis fimbriae evoked higher delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) reactions in B10.D2 (H-2d) and B10.BR (H-2k) mice followed by C57BL/10 (B10, H-2b) and B10.A (H-2a) and in guinea-pigs immunised with the fimbriae and GM-53 in FIA.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)