A Mycoplasma fermentans-derived high-molecular-weight material (MDHM) is described which causes differentiation of concanavalin A-stimulated CBA/J or C57BL/6 mouse thymocytes to cytolytic effector T cells (CTLs). The effect of MDHM was inhibited by addition of monoclonal anti-interleukin-6 (IL-6) antibody. It could also be abolished after removal of adherent cells. However, adherent cell-depleted thymocytes could still form CTLs after addition of IL-6. The action of MDHM could thus be explained by the capacity of MDHM to stimulate IL-6 release from adherent cells. MDHM was active on macrophages from CBA/J and C3H/HeJ endotoxin nonresponder mice and was also capable of stimulating IL-6 release from human monocytes. On gel chromatography, MDHM had an apparent molecular size of 1.5 x 106 daltons. Treatment with RNase and DNase had no effect on either size or biological activity. Proteinase K did not abolish activity but reduced the apparent molecular size of MDHM. MDHM production by M. fermentans required either coculture with eucaryotic cell lines in RPMI 1640 medium with fetal calf serum or addition of eucaryotic cell sonic extracts to this medium. The biological activity of MDHM is not identical to that of a mitogen for murine spleen cells derived from M. arthritidis; MDHM caused only slight proliferation in this system compared with the mitogen from M. arthritidis, and the latter did not elicit IL-6 release from macrophages. The results are discussed in relation to mycoplasmas as putative etiological agents for rheumatoid arthritis, since high IL-6 titers were reported for synovial fluid from patients with this disease.
Summary
Investigations about the occurrence of Mycoplasma bovis and other Mycoplasma species in cattle of the northern part of Germany
Samples from cattle of the northern part of Germany were investigated for infection with Mycoplasma (M.) bovis, M. bovigenitalium, M. bovirhinis and Acholeplasma (A.) laidlawii. M. bovis was isolated from calves with respiratory diseases from nose (20%), from tracheal mucus (18.4%), and from lung samples (28.5 %). Calves without clinical symptoms harboured M. bovis in 2.4% of the nose samples investigated. In addition M. bovis was demonstrated in two semen samples and one preputial washing fluid from bulls showing clinical signs of epididymitis, in three vaginal swabs from cows with fertility problems and two of 385 milk samples. M. bovigenitalium was found in 0.5 to 4.2 percent of the samples of M. bovirhinis in 25 to 56.8 percent in the respiratory tract and 3.2 to 4.3 percent in the genital tract. A. laidlawii was present in 2.1 to 6.2 percent of the samples investigated.
Zusammenfassung
In der vorliegenden Untersuchung werden verschiedene Proben von Rindern des norddeutschen Raumes auf Infektion mit Mycoplasma (M.) bovis, M. bovigenitalium, M. bovirhinis und Acholeplasma (A.) laidlawii untersucht. M. bovis konnte bei Kälbern mit respiratorischen Erkrankungen im Nasenraum (20%), Trachealschleim (18,4%) und in der Lunge (28,5%) und bei klinisch gesunden Kälbern im Nasenraum (2,4 %) nachgewiesen werden. Außerdem wurde diese Spezies in zwei Samen‐und einer Präputial‐Spülprobe von Bullen mit Epididymitis, drei Vaginaltupfern von Kühen mit Fertilitätsstörungen und 2 von 385 untersuchten Milchproben gefunden. M. bovigenitalium war in 0,5 bis 4,2% der verschiedenen Proben enthalten. M. bovirhinis wurde im Respirationstrakt in 25 bis 56,8% und im Genitaltrakt in 3,2 bis 4,3 % der Proben gefunden. A. laidlawii war in 2,1 bis 6,2% der untersuchten Proben nachweisbar.
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