In the present study, we describe in vivo cultivation to produce oocysts. Seven-day-old mice were orally infected with 100,000-120,000 Cryptosporidium oocysts. On day 8 post-infection, the mice were killed by ether, and the small and large intestines collected. A simple extraction procedure was used and purified using Ficoll gradient centrifugation. After purification, the oocysts were preserve...

Equipment and additionally required solutions The -Gal Reporter Gene Assay can be performed in all automated or manual luminometers in tube and microplate format, as well as in scintillation counters. When using the microplate format, black or white microplates must be used. Except for redist. water (required for reconstitution and dilution purposes), the kit contains all assay reagents for lys...

Tear film protein deposition on contact lens hydrogels has been well characterized from the perspective of bacterial adhesion and viability. However, the effect of protein deposition on lens interactions with the corneal epithelium remains largely unexplored. The current study employs a live cell rheometer to quantify human corneal epithelial cell adhesion to soft contact lenses fouled with the...

CAT: Catalase; SOD: Superoxide Dismutase; GPx: Glutathione Peroxidase; GST: Glutathione-S-Transferase; GSH: Glutathione; LPO: Lipid Peroxidation; MDA: Malondialdehyde; H2O2: Hydrogen Peroxide; D.H2O: Distilled Water; Conc.: Concentrated; ROS: Reactive Oxygen Sspecies; RBC: Red Blood Cells ; NADH: Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide;CDNB: 1-Chloro-2,4-Dinitro Benzene; TCA: Trichloro Acetic Acid; E...

Viable single cell suspensions from rat colonic epithelium were obtained by using phosphate buffered saline containing 0-2 M mannitol. The method, which requires no prior enzyme treatment, provides undamaged cells in high yield within one hour. The procedure was also applied to neoplastic rat colonic tissue, which was induced by repeated intrarectal infusion of N-methyl-N-nitrosourea. Compariso...

Optic nerve trauma is a common occurrence that results in irreversible blindness. Currently, no effective strategies are known to prevent optic nerve degeneration. We assessed the therapeutic effects of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) after optic nerve crush in the adult rat. Our results showed that BMSCs significantly promoted the regeneration of injured axons compared with phosphat...

The inhibitory effect of milk in the PCR detection of Listeria monocytogenes could be overcome by washing the contaminated milk sample with phosphate-buffered saline and concentrating the bacteria to 1/10 of the original volume. In order to avoid a possible failure in the detection of virulent L. monocytogenes, a one-step procedure which enabled demonstration of three virulence-associated genes...

PURPOSE To determine whether agents which are purportedly capable of inducing encystment of Acanthamoeba can recapitulate the signal when tested in differing formulations. METHODS In accordance with the International Standard ISO 19045, Acanthamoeba castellanii ATCC 50370 trophozoites were cultured in antibiotic-free axenic medium, treated with test solutions, and encystment rates plus viabil...

A recent article in this journal found that the type of extraction buffer did not affect measured levels of the major group one allergen (Der p 1) from the house dust mite, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, in household dust samples (1). This differed from a previous study where about twice the levels of Der p 1 were found in borate-buffered saline extracts, compared to ammonium bicarbonate buffe...

In this randomized blinded study, we investigated caffeine 5 mg/kg treatment given directly after neonatal brain hypoxia ischemia. Brain morphology, behavior and key brain infiltrating immune populations were examined. Caffeine treatment significantly improves outcome when compared to phosphate buffered saline. Flow cytometric analysis of immune responses revealed no persistent immunological al...