An actin-destabilizing factor is present in human plasma.

Plasma and serum of humans or experimental animals contain a factor which destabilizes F-actin. The factor has no DNAse or thrombin activity and after incubation with F-actin does not modify the position of the actin band on a SDS polyacrylamide gel. Hence it probably depolymerizes F-actin.     

The turnover of F-actin-bound ADP in vivo

Summary A procedure for estimating the rate of turnover of F-actin-bound ADP in vivo is described. A turnover rate of 0.88 h^–1 was determined for mouse muscle F-actin. The validity of the method when used to estimate the turnover rate of F-actin per se is discussed in relation to the possible exchange of F-actin-bound ADP.Acknowledgments. The invaluable technical assistance of Mr L. Carrington is gratefully acknowledged.     

Enhanced enzyme activity in concentrated salt solutions

Summary The enzyme activity of thrombin, -factor Xa-E and trypsin was enhanced in 1.0 M sodium citrate solution. Thrombin activated factor X. Synthetic substrate S-2222, designed for factor Xa, was hydrolyzed more rapidly with factor Xa or with thrombin in 1.0 M sodium citrate solution than in dilute salt solutions.Recipient of a Fogarty International Research Fellowship (TW-02743-02).     

The glucose dependence of pancreatic endocrine responses to 2-deoxyglucose in the calf

Summary The initial plasma glucose concentration of unanesthetized calves with cut splanchnic nerves, given 2-deoxyglucose (1.2 mmoles/kg, i.v.), was either lowered by prior starvation, or raised by a continuous infusion of exogenous glucose. Raising the initial plasma glucose concentration completely suppressed the release of pancreatic glucagon and pancreatic polypeptide but substantially enhanced the release of insulin in response to 2-deoxyglucose.This work has been supported by the Medical Research Council and the Leverhulme Trust. We are also indebted to Mr P.M.M. Bircham and Mr G.P. Macgregor for their skilled technical assistance.     

Spontaneous maze ambulation in two mouse strains

Summary A simple device is described, which permits us to quantify several parameters of spontaneous behaviour of small animals. Using this device with mice we obtained statistically satisfactory results, showing a strong genetic influence on the behavioural characteristics tested.We wish to thank Mr R. Laplace for technical help, Mr J. P. Arnould for electronic work as well as I.N.S.E.R.M.-SCR 3.     

Chromosome aberrations in in vitro irradiated lymphocytes from human cord blood

Summary An in vitro dose effect curve of dicentric chromosome aberrations in human cord blood lymphocytes has been obtained for 250-kV X-rays. This is compared with a curve prepared in an identical manner using blood from adults. The comparison shows a marginally higher dicentric yield in blood of newborns at doses above about 250 rads.Acknowledgment. We wish to thank Miss P. Orledge of the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford, for samples of cord blood, Mr M.J. Corp of the MRC Radiobiology Unit, Harwell, for irradiating the samples and Mr A.A. Edwards of NRPB, for help with statistics. The work was partly supported by Euratom Contract No. 171-76-1 BIO UK.     

Cerebral ammonia production during hypoglycaemia in the newborn calf

Summary The effect of insulin hypoglycaemia on cerebral blood flow, and cerebral metabolic rates of glucose, oxygen and ammonia was investigated in the unanaesthetized newborn calf. A net loss of ammonia from the brain occurred during hypoglycaemia, and was greater in convulsing than in comatose animals.Acknowledgments. The expert assistance of Mr P.M.M. Bircham and Miss B.N. O'Connor is gratefully acknowledged. This work was supported by the Medical Research Council.     

Location of lectin receptors on rat hepatocytes by transmission and scanning electron microscopy

Summary Rexeptors for various lectins have been located on isolated hepatocytes by transmission and scanning electron microscopy, using gold markers of variable sizes. Quantitative data indicated that binding of some lectin markers depended upon their sizes.Acknowledgments. The authors thank Miss E. Bujard and Mr. A. Isely for the rat liver perfusion and Mrs M. Weber for the photographic work.     

Pancreatic polypeptide: A possible role in the regulation of food intake in the mouse. Hypothesis

Summary Pancreatic polypeptide (PP) is a recently identified hormone produced by pancreatic endocrine cells. The islets of genetically obese mice (ob/ob, C57 BL/6J), which are suspected to lack a circulating satiety factor, contain relatively few of the PP-producing cells. Administration of bovine pancreatic polypeptide (bPP) reduces food intake and suppresses body weight gain in the hyperphagic obese mice. It is postulated that PP participates in the regulation of food intake in a manner as yet undefined.This work was supported by grant No. 3.553.75 from Swiss National Science Foundation. We thank Mrs M. Eissler and Mr R. Cuche for their valuable help.     

Platelet aggregation following electrical stimulation

Summary It was demonstrated that the previous in vitro electrical stimulation of human and rat platelet-rich plasma does not modify the subsequent response of platelets to the aggregating activity of ADP, thrombin, thrombofax or adrenaline. This is interesting in view of the fact that the electrical stimulation can induce clot retraction.Acknowledgments. We thank Mr Renzo Ferronato for his technical assistance and Miss Maria Tommasini for her secretarial aid.     

Enhancement by pyridoxine of the action of diazepam on spinal presynaptic inhibition

Summary In spinal unanesthetized cats, pyridoxine pretreatment significantly enhanced the diazepam-induced increase in dorsal root potentials and dorsal root reflexes.Acknowledgments. This work was supported by a grant from the Lebanese National Research Council. The authors wish to thank Mr M. Shakarji for technical assistance in this investigation.     

Kelletinin I and kelletinin A from the marine mollusc Buccinulum corneum are inhibitors of eukaryotic DNA polymerase alpha

The inhibitory effect of esters of p-hydroxybenzoic acid (kelletinins I and A), extracted from the marine gastropod Buccinulum corneum, have been tested on eukaryotic and prokaryotic enzymes of DNA metabolism such as DNA polymerases alpha and beta, DNA polymerase I, Exo III, pancreatic DNAse I, micrococcal DNAse and E. coli RNA polymerase. Kelletinin I and kelletinin A inhibit preferentially DNA polymerase alpha. The inhibitory effect of kelletinin I involves the hydroxyl group of p-hydroxybenzoic acid.     

Specialized membrane junctions in the avian cerebellum

Summary Pentalaminar specialized membrane junctions-tight junctions — are described in the granular layer of the pigeon cerebellum. The presence of these axo-dendritique and dendrosomatic contacts suggest the existence of electrotonic coupling in the pigeon cerebellum.This work received financial support from the Instituto de Alta Cultura, Lisbon, Project No. PMC5-I.Acknowledgements. I am greatly indebted to Prof.E. G. Gray and Prof.A. Sousa Pinto for helpful advice and criticism. The technical assistance of Mrs.M. M. Pacheco, M. G. Rodrigues, M. L. Brito and Mr.Bessa Nunes is gratefully acknowledged.     

The induction of chromosome aberrations in human lymphocytes by negative π-mesons under conditions of anoxia and oxygenation

Summary After a dose of 3.0 Gy in the peak position of the pion depth-dose curve, the ratios between observed chromosome aberration yields under conditions of oxygenation and of anoxia were obtained for lymphocytes exposed at 3 depths in a plastic phantom. These ratios were 3.7, 1.9 and 1.3 in the plateau, peak and post-peak positions, respectively, suggesting a corresponding decrease in the oxygen enhancement ratio.Acknowledgments. We wish to thank Dr D.H. Reading, Mr M.A. Hynes and Mr W. Spinks for their assistance at the Rutherford Laboratory's -II beam line. This work was partly supported by Euratom Contract 171-76-1 BIO-UK.     

Trisomy of the T6 translocation chromosome in the mouse

Résumé En utilisant le chromosome T6 pour des expériences de transplantations dans la souris, nous avons trouvé des cellules contenant 41 chromosomes et le trisomique pour le chromosome T6.

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This work was supported by The Spastics Society, A.A.M. was in receipt of a grant from the Instituto de Alta Cultura, Portugal. Mr.L. Kelberman processed the photograph.     

Vitamin A and tumor immunity

Summary Intraperitoneal administration of vitamin A into the BALB/c mice inoculated with a syngeneic fibrosarcoma, Meth A, caused a remarkable augmentation of tumor rejection. A cell-depletion technique revealed that the primary effector cells responsible for the augmented rejection were Thy-1 positive, Lyt-1 negative, Lyt-2 positive lymphocytes, suggesting the involvement of cytotoxic lymphocytes.This work was supported in part by a Grant-in-Aid for scientific research from the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, Japan, and in part by a Grant-in-Aid for cancer research from the Fukuoka Cancer Society, Japan.We thank Mr M. Fujiki and Miss A. Maeda for excellent technical assistance.     

Relation between stimulus intensity and neutrophil chemotactic response

Summary The effect of chemotactic peptides which lack chemokinetic activity has been investigated. The neutrophil response is proportional to the logarithm of the stimulus intensity, or alternatively a power function with an exponent of 0.3. Equal responses are obtained for equal ratios between the peptide concentration in the lower compartment and the threshold concentration. The significance of Weber-Fechner's law in leucocyte chemotaxis is discussed.We thank Miss B. Zanolari, Mrs M. Marti, Mrs Hauck and Mr Dietz for excellent technical assistance. This work was supported by the Swiss National Foundation for Scientific Research.     

The role of hyperoxygenation in facilitating the induction of pulmonary histiocytosis by low doses of chlorphentermine

Summary Hyperoxygenation modified the susceptibility of neonatal rat lung to respond to chlorphentermine with an accumulation of hypertrophic macrophages, a morphologic change undetected when an anorectic drug was given alone. Implications of this observation for pediatrics are discussed.This work was supported by grants from the Medical Research Council of Canada.Acknowledgments. Skilled technical assistance was provided by Mr V. Kapal and Miss G.A. Calderwood, Jr. The authors wish to thank Dr I.M. Nielsen, H. Lundbeck and Company. Copenhagen, Denmark, for the generous supply of chlorphentermine.     

The invasion and growth ofBabesia bovis in tick tissue culture

Summary Erythrocytic forms ofBabesia bovis inoculated into cell cultures of the tickBoophilus microplus invaded the tick cells and showed multiplication for up to 48 h after inoculation.Acknowledgment. We thank Mr. G.B. Mirre and Mrs M. Steinhoffer for able technical assistance during the course of the work. We also thank Dr. H.M.D. Hoyte, Parasitology Department, University of Queensland, for the use of an electron microscope. The work was supported by funds from the Australian Meat Research Committee.     

Preservation ofBordetella pertussis

Summary Bordetella pertussis has been shown to remain viable for a period of 13 years on freeze-drying. The revived cultures had unaltered antigenic composition and biological activity.Thanks are due to Dr M. Balasubrahmanyan for his guidance and Dr M.S. Zakharova, Gamaleya Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Moscow, USSR for supplyingB. pertussis factor sera. We thank Mr Ram Jas for his technical assistance.