Hundert Jahre Schweizer-Reagens

Summary Cuprammonia as a solvent for cellulose was discovered a hundred years ago byEduard Schweizer, Professor of Chemistry at the University of Zurich, and the heterogeneous swelling of plant fibres with this reagent was described in the same year byCarl Cramer, Professor of Botany at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology then recently founded. Both discoveries were published in the Vierteljahrsschrift der Naturforschenden Gesellschaft Zürich 1857 and early 1858.     

Some physical-chemical properties of the rabbit's ≪Sleep hemodialysate≫

Zusammenfassung Die hypnogene Aktivität des Schlafdialysates von Kaninchen hängt nicht von geringen Änderungen des pH, sondern von einer oder mehrerer Verbindungen des Dialysates ab. Diese Verbindungen verlieren anscheinend einen Teil ihrer Aktivität durch längeres Lagern im Kühlschrank, wiederholtes Einfrieren und Tauen sowie durch Lyophilisieren des frischen Dialysates. Sie sind keine Proteine höheren Molekulargewichtes, da solche die Membranen des Dialysiergerätes nicht passieren können. Schliesslich spricht die Empfindlichkeit der aktiven Verbindungen auf Hitze und extreme pH-Änderungen für eine Beziehung der hypnogenen Aktivität des Schlafdialysates zu spezifischen organischen Verbindungen von niedrigem Molekulargewicht.

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Report at the Max Planck Institut für experimentelle Medizin, Göttingen (Department of Prof.W. Vogt).

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We are very much indebted toW. Mehlhose, A. M. Hatt andB. Rösch for their technical help, to Dr.M. Fallert, Research assistant in our Institute, and Prof.H. Reber, Head of the Chemical Laboratory, Bürgerspital Basel, for their cooperation, to the Direction of Hoffmann La Roche AG, Basel and to the Ciba Stifung, Basel, for their financial help.     

3H-Diazepam binding sites in roman high- and low-avoidance rats

Summary The binding of³H-diazepam to membrane benzodiazepine receptors was examined in 2 psychogenetically selected lines of rats, which differ according to the selection criterion in avoidance behaviour (RHA/Verh>RLA/Verh) and, in addition, in emotionality (RHA/Verh相似文献   

Serum iron level of the common Indian frogRana tigrina Daud.

Summary A study extending over a period of 2 years has been made on serum iron level of common Indian frogR. tigrina. Serum iron averages 99.4 g/100 ml in female and 92.60 g/100 ml in males. The serum iron concentration is relatively high from May to October. Starvation has been found to decrease the serum iron level from the 16th day onwards.Acknowledgment. Thanks are due to Professor Dr M. M. Goil, Head of the Zoology Department for guidance and help in various ways and to Professor Dr R. K. Sharma for valuable suggestions.     

Antidepressant drugs elevate rat pineal and plasma melatonin

Summary Acute administration in the mid-light phase of a number of antidepressant drugs of different pharmacological profiles elevated pineal and plasma melatonin (measured by radioimmunoassay). Following chronic treatment with the tricyclic antidepressant clomipramine, the elevation was significantly reduced. This may be an effect of reduced -adrenergic receptor sensitivity after chronic clomipramine administration, analogous to other findings of reduced -adrenergic receptor binding and reduced noradrenaline-sensitive adenylate-cyclase response.These collaborative studies were made possible by a Twinning Grant from the European Training Programme for Brain and Behaviour Research; J.A. was supported by the Medical Research Council of Great Britain. We thank M. Lichtsteiner for excellent technical assistance. This paper was written during a Fellowship of the Swiss Biomedical Research Foundation to A.W.-J. Hofmann-LaRoche AG, Basel kindly provided the 1-5HTP-ester (Ro 11-5940) and Ro 11-2465, CIBA-Geigy AG, Basel, the maprotiline, clomipramine, and imipramine, USV, New York, the desmethylimipramine.     

Survival and endogenous spleen colonies of irradiated mice after skin wounding and hydroxyurea treatment

Summary Wound trauma-induced survival from radiation may be related to increased mitosis in hematopoietic cells. This is supported by the cell cycle-dependent drug hydroxyurea, which 1. blocked survival of wounded mice injected 2 or 3 days after 900 rad and 2. reduced the number of endogenous CFU-s in wounded mice injected shortly before 700 rad.Supported by the Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Defense Nuclear Agency, under Research Work Unit MJ00018. Views presented in this paper are those of the authors; no endorsement by the Defense Nuclear Agency has been given or should be inferred.Research was conducted according to the principles enunciated in the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals prepared by the Institute of Laboratory Research, National Research Council.     

Effect of detoxin D on blasticidin S uptake inBacillus cereus

Summary The active transport of blasticidin S into the cells ofBacillus cereus was significantly inhibited by the addition of detoxin D or poisons of energy metabolism.The authors are grateful to Prof. M. Matsuhashi of our Institute for his valuable advice and to Dr I. Yamaguchi, Institute of Physical and Chemical Research, for the gift of labeled blasticidin S. This work is supported in part by a grant from the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, Government of Japan.This is Part VII of Studies on Detoxin Complex, the Selective Anatagonists of Blasticidin S. For Part VI, see the preceding report.     

The identification of ecdysterone (20-hydroxyecdysone) in 3 species of molluscs (Gastropoda: Pulmonata)

Summary Ecdysterone has been identified in the schistosomiasis vectorBiomphalaria glabrata Say and inHelix aspersa Müller as well as inLymmaea stagnalis L. by chromatography, bioassay, radioimmunoassay, derivatization and by mass spectroscopy. Analysis of the food, faeces and hepatopancreas suggest that the sterol is derived from the diet. The probable function of ecdysterone in relation to calcification of the shell is discussed in this paper.We wish to thank Professor P. Karlson and Dr J. Koolman (Phillips University, Marburg-Lahn, FRG) for providing facilities for RIA. The initial study was begun at the University of Sussex and continued at the Courtauld Institute of Biochemistry, Middlesex Hospital Medical School, London, while D.L.W. was supported by the Ministry of Overseas Development. London and the Medical Research Council of Great Britain (grant G974/525/T). We thank Mr P. Mellon for the mass spectrum and Dr G.B. Russell for his interest in the earlier part of this study. We also thank Professor E. Scherer and Dr Q. Uwe (University of Essen, FRG) for their help in the irradiation ofL. stagnalis.Gauss Str. 82, D-4630 Bochum 5 (Federal Republic of Germany). Research results usingL. stagnalis were submitted for the Philips Europa Wettbewerb für junge Forscher und Erfinder (1979) in a thesis entitled Zur Frage der Existenz von Steroiden und Gonadoliberin bei der Grossen Schlammschnecke (Lymmaea stagnalis L.): ein Beitrag zur Evolution der Insekten- und Wirbeltierhormone.     

Partielle Sprengung der Erythrocyten

Summary Highly polymerized hyaluronic acid coagulates the hemoglobin of several erythrocytes. The erythrocytes with coagulated hemoglobin do not hemolyze at pH 2 to 3.6, but very soon explode and set free within 1 or 2 sec hundreds of hemoglobin granules. The remaining membranes retain some of the hemoglobin and reveal several splits after the termination of the explosion. Judging from the splits, three layers of erythrocyte-membrane could be surmised. 0,5% tannic acid elicits a similar but less clear-cut phenomenon without a typical explosion.

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Diese Arbeit wurde von der H.-Buss-Stiftung (Basel) unterstützt.     

Effects of ibotenic acid,quisqualic acid and their relatives on the excitability of an identifiable giant neurone of an African giant snail (Achatina fulica Férussac)

Summary An identifiable giant neurone, PON (periodically oscillating neurone), of Achatina fulica Férussac, inhibited by erythro--hydroxy-L-glutamic acid, was also inhibited by 2 relatives of -hydroxy glutamic acid, ibotenic acid and quisqualic acid. These substances similarly showed the effect on the neurone even in the chloride-free medium.The authors wish to thank Professor Emeritus T. Takemoto of Tohoku University, Dr H. Iwasaki of Takeda Chemical Co. and Professor C. H. Eugster of Zurich University for the donation of precious substances, and Miss H. Tamura for technical assistance.     

On the use of phosphamidon for eradication of fresh water fish predators

Zusammenfassung Laboratoriumsexperimente mit Phosphamidon ergeben eine günstige kritische Dosisempfindlichkeit für Labeo-Karpfen (150–250 ppm). Es gelingt so leicht, Wasserinsekten (2–10 ppm) und Raubfischstadien (20–125 ppm) aus den Frischwasserreservoiren zu eliminieren.

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Prepared and sold under the name of Dimecron 100 by Ciba Basel, (Switzerland).     

Vorwort zu einer Grammatik der Biologie

Ohne ZusammenfassungDieser Aufsatz ist aus einem Vortrag hervorgegangen, den ich am 30. Mai 1969 in der Aula der Universität Basel anlässlich der Vierteljahrhundertfeier der Zeitschrift EXPERIENTIA hielt. Seine Abfassung wurde durch eine Zuwendung seitens des Scottish Rite Committee on Research in Schizophrenia erleichtert.     

Erythrocyte 2,3-diphosphoglycerate in anaemic sheep

Summary Experimental anaemia resulted in an increase of red cell 2,3-DPG from 0.11 M/gHb to 0.99 M in haemoglobin A sheep and from 0.21 M to 1.5 M in haemoglobin B sheep. Production of haemoglobin C as a result of anaemia was confined to haemoglobin A only. The results, therefore, appear to suggest that the rise in 2,3-DPG in the red blood cells of different haemoglobin types is independent of haemoglobin C.This work was supported by grants from the National Health and Medical Research Council, The Clive and Vera Ramaciotti New South Wales Foundations and Helena Rubinstein Foundation, Inc. We wish to thank Mr J. Sheedy for his expert technical assistance, and Professor G. J. Brewer for his constructive criticism.     

Relationship between A-type and C-type particles in Ehrlich ascites tumor cells

Summary Intracisternal and intracytoplasmic A-type particles were discovered in Ehrlich ascites tumor cells. In addition, mature and immature C-type particles were also seen in the intercellular space. It is believed that A particles may represent a precursor or a formative stage of the C particles.Acknowledgment. The author is grateful to Professor F. P. Lisowski for his advice and helpful criticisms and to Mr Y. S. Tong for his expert technical assistance. This project was supported by a grant from the Hong Kong University Research Grants Committee.     

Migration of lymphoid cells to the bone marrow of rat following eradication of cells in DNA synthesis and in mitosis

Summary Eradication of replicating bone marrow cells of rat by means of combined administration of single doses of hydroxyurea and vinblastin is followed within 9–10 h by an inflow of lymphoid cells of extramedullary origin in the range of 13,200,000/femur. The rat bone marrow with a high content of lymphoid cells was previously shown to be concentrated in stem cells. The factor(s) which convey the information of decrease of replicating marrow cells to extramedullary sites is at present unknown.Acknowledgment. This study was supported by a grant from the Chief Scientist Office, Ministry of Health, Israel.Hydroxyurea for this investigation was given as a gift by the Squibb Institute of Medical Research, Princeton, N.J. USA, to which the authors are indebted.     

Inhibition by ergocornine and 2-Br-α-ergocryptin of spontaneous mammary tumor appearance in mice

Zusammenfassung Die subkutane Impantation von Ergocornin oder 2-Br--Ergokryptin (CB-154) hemmt die Bildung von spontanen Tumoren der Milchdrüse bei der Maus.

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The authors are indebted to Drs.M. Taeschler andE. Flückiger, Sandoz Ltd., Basel, for their kind donation of ergocornine methanesulfonate and CB-154.     

Effects of ergocornine and 2-Br-α-ergokryptin (CB-154) on the formation of mammary hyperplastic alveolar nodules and the pituitary prolactin levels in mice

Zusammenfassung Ergocornin und 2-Br--Ergokryptin (CB-154) unterdrücken die Formation von hyperplastischen alveolaren Noduli der Milchdrüse und vermindern Prolactin-Sekretion aus dem Hirnanhang in der Maus.

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The authors wish to express their heartiest thanks to Drs. M.Taeschler and E.Flückiger, Sandoz Ltd., Basel, for their kind donation of ergocornine and CB-154.     

Density gradient centrifugation of cells separated from multicellular tumor spheroids

Summary Cells from a murine fibrosarcoma (FSa) have been grown in vitro as multicell tumor spheroids (MTS). The growth rate of these MTS was determined. Follwing selected periods of growth, MTS were made into a single cell suspension and separated on linear density gradients of Renografin. While only 1 population of cells was separated from small spheroids (400 m diameter), at least 3 subpopulations of tumor cells were separated and isolated from large spheroids (800 m in diameter).This investigation was supported in part by grants numbered CA-18628 and CA-06294, awarded by the National Cancer Institute, DHEW.