Effects of injury on the concentration ofα 1 andα 2 in the plasmas of male and female rats

Summary The effects of injury on the concentration of ₁-macroglobulin and ₂-macroglobulin in the plasmas of male and female rats has been investigated. At 5 days after injury to the male rats the ₁-macroglobulin concentration increased to 131% of its preinjury value. The ₂-macroglobulin concentration increased more rapidly to a maximum of 86 times its initial value. In the female rats ₂-macroglobulin increased only slightly and ₁-macroglobulin not at all.     

Levels ofα 1 in the spring and autumn seasons

Summary In a group of 84 pairs of 11-year-old children of both sexes, the level of the ₁-antitrypsin ( ₁-AT) were ascertained in the autumn and spring. Although the mean levels of ₁-AT in the two seasons hardly differed, the highly significant seasonal changes in the distribution curves of ₁-AT values were noted in boys, whereas the levels showed higher stability in girls.     

The effect of γ-irradiation on the amount of 5-hydroxytryptamine in the gut and spleen in the early phase after irradiation

Résumé 24 et 48 h après irradiation- (900 r) la quantité de 5-hydroxytryptamine dans l'intestin du rat n'a pas changé de manière significative. La quantité de 5-hydroxytryptamine dans la rate du rat, exprimée par g de tissu frais a augmenté. Le prétraitement avec de la cystéamine abaisse nettement la quantité de 5-hydroxytryptamine dans la rate, après l'irradiation.     

Age- and sex-related differences in the content of prothymosinα in rat tissues

Differences in the tissue content of prothymosin during the early postnatal development of male and female rats are reported. Thymus and spleen have been found to contain significantly higher amounts of prothymosin in the newborn and prepubertal animals, as compared to adults, whereas liver has been found to contain low levels of prothymosin throughout development. These findings indicate a functional association of prothymosin with the proliferating lymphoid tissues of the young rat.     

Influence of cyproterone acetate on the activity ofβ-glucuronidase in the hypothalamus and cerebral cortex of the male mouse

Summary Daily s.c. injections of cyproterone acetate greatly decrease the protein content and-glucuronidase activity in the mouse hypothalamus. These effects are reversible and the recovery capacity of the animal seems to be inversely related to the duration of antiandrogenic treatment.Financial aid was given by CNR (finalized project Biologia della Riproduzione) and Ministry of Education. Thanks are also due to Prof. G. Chieffi for suggestions and to Mr R. Auriemma for maintenance of experimental animals.     

Rôle of the nucleus in the maintenance of the protein level in the algaAcetabularia mediterranea

Riassunto Sono state studiate le variazioni del rapporto tra l'N proteico e non proteico in segmenti rigeneranti, nucleati ed anucleati, diAcetabul. medit. I risultati ottenuti hanno dimostrato che il predetto rapporto aumenta in entrambi i segmenti il primo giorno dopo l'operazione. Nei giorni seguenti esso diminuisce in entrambi i segmenti, ma più sensibilmente in quelli anucleati, nei quali va al di sotto del valore medio delle alghe normali già dopo il 3°–4° giorno.     

Purification of α-ketoaldehyde dehydrogenase from the human liver and its possible significance in the control of glycation

Summary Alfa-ketoaldehyde dehydrogenase, which was extracted and purified from human livers, may act on carbonyl compounds, such as 3-deoxyglucosone, and be involved in the control of glycation (Maillard reaction) in the body.     

Changes in placental permeability to corticosterone and estradiol-17β toward the end of gestation in the rat

Summary Radioactivity in the fetal plasma 1 h after maternal injection of¹⁴C-4-corticosterone or¹⁴C-4-estradiol-17 on day 21 of gestation was markedly higher than that 1 h after injection on day 22. Radioactivity in the maternal plasma was not different on these 2 days. The results suggest that the placental permeability to steroids from the mother to the fetus declines toward the end of gestation in the rat.Acknowledgment. We are indebted to Professor Tatsuo Imori (Department of Veterinary Surgery, College of Agriculture, University of Osaka Prefecture) for his valuable suggestions during the course of this study.     

Transplantation and ‘cross-transplantation’ of free muscle grafts in the rat

Zusammenfassung Nachweis, dass ein frei transplantierter Rattenmuskel besser regeneriert, wenn er 14 Tage vor der Transplantation denerviert wurde.

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Work performed during an exchange between the Czechoslovak and US Academies of Sciences and supported in part by a grant from the MDAA.     

Role of Cys221 and Asn116 in the zinc-binding sites of the Aeromonas hydrophila metallo-β-lactamase

The CphA metallo--lactamase produced by Aeromonas hydrophila exhibits two zinc-binding sites. Maximum activity is obtained upon binding of one zinc ion, whereas binding of the second zinc ion results in a drastic decrease in the hydrolytic activity. In this study, we analyzed the role of Asn116 and Cys221, two residues of the active site. These residues were replaced by site-directed mutagenesis and the different mutants were characterized. The C221S and C221A mutants were seriously impaired in their ability to bind the first, catalytic zinc ion and were nearly completely inactive, indicating a major role for Cys221 in the binding of the catalytic metal ion. By contrast, the binding of the second zinc ion was only slightly affected, at least for the C221S mutant. Mutation of Asn116 did not lead to a drastic decrease in the hydrolytic activity, indicating that this residue does not play a key role in the catalytic mechanism. However, the substitution of Asn116 by a Cys or His residue resulted in an approximately fivefold increase in the affinity for the second, inhibitory zinc ion. Together, these data suggested that the first zinc ion is located in the binding site involving the Cys221 and that the second zinc ion binds in the binding site involving Asn116 and, presumably, His118 and His196.Received 3 March 2003; received after revision 4 August 2003; accepted 25 August 2003     

Metabolism in porifera VI. Role of the 5,6 double bond and the fate of the C-4 of cholesterol during the conversion into 3β-hydroxymethyl-A-nor-5α-steranes in the spongeAxinella verrucosa

Summary During the conversion of cholesterol into 3 -hydroxymethyl-A-nor-5-cholestane by the spongeAxinella verrucosa, the carbon-3 of this latter originate from carbon-4 of cholesterol. Cholestanol moreover does not seem an intermediate in this conversion.     

Quantitative investigation of the P and N loss in the rat liver when using various media in the ‘freeze-substitution’ technique

Résumé Les auteurs ont examiné les possibilités de diminution du contenu en azote et phosphore et de la masse sèche au cours de la congelation-dissolution des tissus. La diminution la plus marquée a été observée après l'usage de méthanol. Tandis qu'avec l'acétone elle est insignifiante.     

Dopamine-β-hydroxylase,adrenaline, noradrenaline and dopamine in the venous blood of adrenal gland of man: A comparison with levels in the periphery of the circulation

Summary In 10 human subjects plasma dopamine--hydroxylase activity was found in the adrenal vein blood to be as high as in the periphery of the circulation. Adrenaline concentration in the adrenal vein blood was in the mean 170 times, noradrenaline concentration 11 times and dopamine concentration little higher than levels in the periphery.This study was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft.     

Comparison of the effects of β-palmitoyl lysolecithin and cardiac glycosides in two mammalian tissues

Zusammenfassung 1957 sind vonHajdu et al. Versuche veröffentlicht worden, wonach sich aus verschiedenen Geweben eine Substanz mit Herzglykosid-ähnlicher Wirkung auf Kaltblüterherzen extrahieren lässt, welche als -Palmitoyl-lysolecithin interpretiert wurde. In unseren Versuchen wurde aus Hefe Dipalmitoleyl-lecithin isoliert und daraus durch enzymatische Abspaltung der -ständigen Fettsäure und anschliessende katalytische Hydrierung reines, hämolytisch wirksames -Palmitoyl-lysolecithin hergestellt. Diese Verbindung zeigte jedoch keine den Effekten der Herzglykoside verwandte Wirkung am isolierten Meerschweinchenventrikel sowie an menschlichen Erythrocyten.     

The in vivo expression of the globin genes of theβ cistron in γ-,δ-, andδβ-thalassemia heterozygotes

There is considerable evidence suggesting that the switch from to and chain production after birth is due, in part, to silencing of the genes by stage-specific factors which bind to their promoters and to the competition from the adult ( and ) genes for a common enhancer element located in the locus control region. As a consequence one can expect that the increased Hb F production in adults with hereditary persistence of fetal hemoglobin or -thalassemia is directed mainly by -globin genes in cis to the deletion(s) responsible for these conditions. Here we review data on heterozygotes with -, -, or -thalassemia, who also had an^AT mutation, in cis or in trans, which was used as a marker of gene expression. The results show that a deletion affecting adult genes favors the expression of genes in cis, while the deletion of a single gene does not affect the expression of the gene in cis but leads to a faster switch postnatally.     

Biosynthesis ofα- andβ-ecdysone by the CrayfishOrconectes limosus in vivo and by its Y-Organs in vitro

Summary - and -ecdysone were synthesized from labelled cholesterol by premolt crayfish in vivo and by their Y-organs in vitro.     

Effect of tea consumption on the levels ofα-ketoglutarate and pyruvate dehydrogenase in rat brain

Summary Administration of tea to rats fed on a normal diet results in a marked drop in brain levels of total thiamine as well as of -ketoglutarate and pyruvate dehydrogenase activities. The patterns of decrease in both enzyme activities are similar to that of total thiamine content; they drop to about 65% of the control at 14–20 weeks after continuous consumption of tea.Supported by a grant from the International Foundation for Science (IFS), Sweden.     

Localisation of acetylcholinesterase in rat myotubes in the presence of β-endorphin and β-endorphin-(1-27)

Summary In rat embryo skeletal myotubes, acetylcholinesterase is present, as multiple forms, and can be detected in deposits at the cell surface. Myotubes cultured in the presence of -endorphin, exhibit an increased predominance of the globular (precursor) forms of the enzyme, which are largely restricted to intracellular sites associated with nuclei. In the presence of -endorphin-(1-27), the relative proportions of the different forms of acetylcholinesterase is similar to that seen in the controls, but the enzyme is intracellular and has a characteristic focal localisation in the myotube.     

Striated inclusions and defective mitochondria in the restricted form of the ‘amycelial’ mutant ofNeurospora crassa

Summary The cytoplasm of the restrictive form of the amycelial mutant ofNeurospora crassa, growing on sucrosemedium, contains paracrystalline, microfilamentous inclusions and mitochondria with internal membranous whorls lacking in acetate-grown cultures.The support of the Fonds national suisse de la recherche scientifique is gratefully acknowledged.