In vitro action of aureomycin and terramycin on Balantidium coli

1. 1. Aureomycin produced inhibition of B. coli in vitro beginning at 0.4 mg/ml concentration. 2. 2. At 24 hours terramycin produced marked diminution of parasites in vitro at 0.6 mg/ml. Concentrations of 0.2 and 0.4 mg/ml gave similar results at 72 hours while 0.1 mg produced reduction in numbers at 96 hours. Inhibition was apparently complete at concentrations of 0.6 mg and higher after 72 hours exposure. 3. 3. Action of aureomycin and terramycin appears to be direct and is apparently not associated with changes in associated bacterial flora or pH. 4. 4. Control tests do not suggest synergistic action of test drugs with penicillin-streptomycin combination. Results may be interpreted as indicative of antagonistic action. © 1952

Studies on the metabolism of Echinococcus granulosus. I. General chemical composition and respiratory reactions

1. 1. Hydatid cyst scolices contain large amounts of protein and smaller amounts of lipids. Less inorganic substances are present than in other immature tapeworms. Two polysaccharides are stored: glycogen and a polysaccharide containing galactose and glucosamine. 2. 2. Under an oxygen tension of atmospheric air the scolices consume oxygen at a rapid rate (Qo2 = 2) with an over-all RQ of 0.88. 3. 3. The anaerobic CO2 production is pronounced, but the sources of this CO2 have not been established. 4. 4. The aerobic and anaerobic gaseous exchanges are highly sensitive to inhibitors of glycolysis, but dl-glyceraldehyde is completely ineffective. 5. 5. The aerobic respiration is markedly cyanide sensitive. 6. 6. The aerobic respiration is inhibited by fluoroacetate, but not by malonate. 7. 7. The Q10 of the oxygen consumption is 2.1 in the range 28 to 38 °C. Temperatures of 42 and 45 °C are beyond the optimum. 8. 8. The respiration remains about constant in the pH range 4.5 to 8.5. 9. 9. T

Glutathione and trypanothione in several strains of Trypanosoma cruzi: Effect of drugs

Glutathione (GSH), trypanothione (T(SH)2) and glutathionyl spermidine (GSH-SP) concentrations were determined in the Tulahuen and LQ strains and the DM 28c clone of Trypanosoma cruzi. The concentrations of GSH, T(SH)2 and GSH-SP, expressed as nmol of GSH per g of parasite fresh weight, were 60.1, 397.8 and 103.9, respectively, for the Tulahuen strain. For the DM 28c clone, the values were 113.9, 677.9 and 164.1, respectively, and for the LQ strain they were 199.1, 1100.5 and 55.3, respectively. When the parasites were treated with 10 μM nifurtimox or 50 μM benznidazole for 2 h, the concentrations of all three reduced thiols decreased strongly. The total amount of T(SH)2 decreased by more than 50%. Treatment of the parasites with 5 mM buthionine sulfoximine, an inhibitor of GSH synthesis, for 6 h diminished the concentrations of the reduced thiols by between 27% and 53% with respect to the controls. Cyclohexylamine, an inhibitor of spermidine synthesis, decreased the concentrations of