Effect of long-term fenfluramine treatment on drug-metabolism in rat

Zusammenfassung Nachweis, dass Fenfluramin in Dosen von 25 und 50 mg/kg p.o. Arzneimittel abbauende Enzyme stimuliert und die Cytochromen b₅ und P-450 in der Rattenleber vermehrt. Der induzierende Effekt ist bereits nach 3 Wochen maximal.     

Shoot regeneration fromAgrobacterium tumefaciens-induced tumors of a tropical timber tree,Fagraea fragrans

Summary Agrobacterium tumefaciens A208 with nopaline plasmid pTiT37 was used to obtain stem tumors on plantlets ofFagraea fragrans grown in vitro. Bacterial elimination and tissue proliferation were simultaneously achieved by growing tumors on cefatoxime medium. After some tissue growth the shoots regenerated. An examination of these showed the presence of nopaline, indicating genetic transformation by T-DNA.     

Bombesin,calcitonin and leu-enkephalin immunoreactivity in endocrine cells of human lung

Summary By immunohistochemistry, bombesin, calcitonin and leu-enkephalin was localized in endocrine cells of human lungs from various age groups. It is suggested that at least 3 different peptide containing endocrine cells may be present in human lung.Acknowledgments. The authors thank Dr Camille Vaillant, University of Liverpool, for advice with immunohistochemical methods and Dr G. Dockray for his generous gift of bombesin antiserum. This work has been supported by Medical Research Council of Canada (MA-7054) and Ontario Thoracic Society.     

Natural hybridization inDrosophila

Summary Although at least 159 cases of interspecific hybridization between closely related species ofDrosophila have been obtained under laboratory conditions, only 7 cases of natural interspecific hybridization have been recorded. We report yet another case, concerningD. malerkotliana andD. bipectinata.Thanks are due to the University Grants Commission for supporting the research project of J.P.G. and to the Head of the Department for laboratory facilities.     

Demonstration of tissue-specific antigens shared by normal pancreas and pancreatic neoplasms

Summary Xenoantiserum raised against extracts of normal hamster pancreas, after absorption with normal tissues, reacted specifically with normal hamster and human pancreas by immunodiffusion. Absorbed antiserum also reacted with hamster and human pancreatic carcinoma but not with other neoplasms. Immunization of hamsters with normal pancreas extracts prevented growth of transplantable pancreatic carcinomas.     

Accumulation of drastic mutants in selection lines for resistance to the insecticides dichlorvos and malathion inDrosophila melanogaster

Summary Viability tests were performed on second and third chromosomes from lines ofDrosophila melanogaster selected for increased resistance to the organophosphorus insecticides dichlorvos and malathion, in order to evaluate the accumulation of drastic alleles. Our results show that malathion reduces significantly the relative viability of chromosome 3 and also increases the frequency of drastic alleles in this chromosome, while dichlorvos increases significnatly the frequency of drastic alleles in chromosome 2.Work supported in part by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science (Grant No. 0577/84 CAICYT).—We are grateful to Productos Cruz Verde S.A. and Agrocrós S.A. for generously supplying the insecticides dichlorvos and malathion, respectively.     

Nuclear blebs in oocytes of the fishClarias batrachus

Summary Large nuclear blebs have been observed in oocytes of the fish,Clarias batrachus. The bleb, which contains nucleoplasm, is finally extruded from the nucleus. The extruded body is DNase-sensitive, and it implies that some amount of DNA is extruded from the nucleus of these oocytes.Acknowledgments. We are thankful to Dr. R.K. Sharan, Department of Zoology, Patna University, for providing laboratory facilities, and to Dr V.G. Jhingran and Dr P.V. Dehadrai of ICAR for their keen interest in the work.