Gerald A. LoGrippo

INVESTIGATIONS OF THE USE OF BETA‐PROPIOLACTONE IN VIRUS INACTIVATION*

Beta-propiolactone (BPL) has been found to inactivate effectively all of the viruses against which it has been tested. These include: Eastern and Western equine encephalitis (EEE and WEE) , the MM strain of encephalomyocarditis (MA4 virus), Theiler (TO) encephalomyelitis, rabies (CVS), poliomyelitis (I, 11, and 111), ECHO (4 and Y), Coxsackie (B-3 and B-5), herpes simplex, New Jersey vesicular stomatitis, adenovirus-3, measles, mumps, hog cholera, influenza (A and B), hepatitis, and Escscherichia coli T-3 phage. In addition, BPL has been found to be bactericidal and fungicidal. The efficacy of beta-propiolactonet as a “cidal” agent lies in the stability of the lactone form of the drug in its purified and concentrated state, together with its instability in a water solution. The lactone ring opens a t both the alkyl and acyl bonds, making it

Ring 1 chromosome and dwarfism—a possible syndrome

Summary A girl, age 26 months, with profound dwarfism, mental retardation, and minor congenital abnormalities was studied. Cytogenetic analysis revealed a ring 1 chromosome in all of the cells counted. The patient is so similar clinically to the one child previously reported with a ring 1 chromosome that the two patients may represent a clinical syndrome.

Procedure for Bone Sterilization with Beta-Propiolactone

1. One per cent beta-propiolactone has been shown capable of sterilizing animal tissues which have been either artificially infected with vegetative and spore-forming bacteria or taken from the animals during the stage of bacteraemia or viraemia. It also sterilizes leukaemic-infected splenic tissue. 2. The depth of drug penetration did not exceed 1.5 millimeters in compact tissues (liver and spleen) and three millimeters in cancellous bone. Thus, compact tissues to a thickness of three millimeters and cancellous bone to a thickness of six millimeters can be satisfactorily sterilized. 3. Good results were obtained in all of the cases in which beta-propiolactone sterilized bone was used (fifty operations). 4. A bone bank in which material sterilized with beta-propiolactone is used has been established. 5. The simple, rapid, and inexpensive chemical method of the sterilization of contaminated bone described in this paper can be readily utilized in small hospitals.