The effects of secretin on urinary volume and electrolytes in normal subjects and patients with chronic pancreatic disease

Zusammenfassung Injektion von Sekretin ruft bei normalen Versuchspersonen Diuresis und Vermehrung der Natrium- und Alkali-Ausscheidung hervor. Diese Wirkungen sind vermindert bei Patienten mit chronischer Pankreaserkrankung. Der mögliche Mechanismus und die praktische Bedeutung dieser Beobachtungen werden diskutiert.

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Supported successively by grants from the Royal Free Hospital Endowment Fund.     

Plasma thyrotrophin concentration in the foetal calf

Résumé On a mesuré le taux de thyrotrophine (TSH), thyroxine et cortisol dans le plasma du foetus du veau pendant les 18 jours précédant la naissance. La diminution du TSH a précédé de 6 jours et s'est poursuivie en même temps que celle du taux de thyroxine.

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We are grateful to the Medical Research Council and the Milk Marketing Board for financial support.

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The TSH preparation used for iodination in these studies was kindly provided by Dr.J. Pierce, and the antiserum to Pierce bovine TSH was provided by Dr.G. D. Thorburn. Synacthen was kindly provided by Dr.D. M. Burley, CIBA Laboratories, Horsham, Sussex and Efcortelan by Dr.E. S. Snell, Glaxo Laboratories, Middx.     

Thermoregulatory effects on the sheep of intracerebroventricular injections of L-glutamic acid

Summary L-glutamic acid injected in doses of 200–1000 nmoles·kg^–1 into the cerebral ventricles of sheep had dose-dependent thermoregulatory effects: an increase in heat production and/or a decrease in respiratory frequency, and a rise in rectal temperature. A dose of 800 nmoles·kg^–1 had effects comparable with those of a similar injection of 3 nmoles·kg^–1 carbamylcholine.We wish to thank Miss Jill Thexton for invaluable assistance.     

Impacts of orbital forcing and atmospheric carbon dioxide on Miocene ice-sheet expansion

The processes causing the middle Miocene global cooling, which marked the Earth's final transition into an 'icehouse' climate about 13.9 million years ago (Myr ago), remain enigmatic. Tectonically driven circulation changes and variations in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels have been suggested as driving mechanisms, but the lack of adequately preserved sedimentary successions has made rigorous testing of these hypotheses difficult. Here we present high-resolution climate proxy records, covering the period from 14.7 to 12.7 million years ago, from two complete sediment cores from the northwest and southeast subtropical Pacific Ocean. Using new chronologies through the correlation to the latest orbital model, we find relatively constant, low summer insolation over Antarctica coincident with declining atmospheric carbon dioxide levels at the time of Antarctic ice-sheet expansion and global cooling, suggesting a causal link. We surmise that the thermal isolation of Antarctica played a role in providing sustained long-term climatic boundary conditions propitious for ice-sheet formation. Our data document that Antarctic glaciation was rapid, taking place within two obliquity cycles, and coincided with a striking transition from obliquity to eccentricity as the drivers of climatic change.     

Characterization of the 1918 influenza virus polymerase genes

The influenza A viral heterotrimeric polymerase complex (PA, PB1, PB2) is known to be involved in many aspects of viral replication and to interact with host factors, thereby having a role in host specificity. The polymerase protein sequences from the 1918 human influenza virus differ from avian consensus sequences at only a small number of amino acids, consistent with the hypothesis that they were derived from an avian source shortly before the pandemic. However, when compared to avian sequences, the nucleotide sequences of the 1918 polymerase genes have more synonymous differences than expected, suggesting evolutionary distance from known avian strains. Here we present sequence and phylogenetic analyses of the complete genome of the 1918 influenza virus, and propose that the 1918 virus was not a reassortant virus (like those of the 1957 and 1968 pandemics), but more likely an entirely avian-like virus that adapted to humans. These data support prior phylogenetic studies suggesting that the 1918 virus was derived from an avian source. A total of ten amino acid changes in the polymerase proteins consistently differentiate the 1918 and subsequent human influenza virus sequences from avian virus sequences. Notably, a number of the same changes have been found in recently circulating, highly pathogenic H5N1 viruses that have caused illness and death in humans and are feared to be the precursors of a new influenza pandemic. The sequence changes identified here may be important in the adaptation of influenza viruses to humans.     

Glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT) in thedy 2J genotypes of C57BL/6J mice: Possible involvement of regulatory defect in muscular dystrophy

Summary The GOT mitochondrial isozyme of heterozygote and homozygote muscular dystrophy (dy^2J) genotypes is affected during development prior to the expression of dystrophy in homozygotes, dy^2J/dy^2J.This research was supported by a Natural Science and Engineering Research Council Canada grant to S.M.S.