A rotating bottle culture method with continuous replacement of the gas phase

Summary A rotator culture method is described which provides a continuous flow of oxygenating gas to cultures in rotating bottles. The system maintains constant O₂ and CO₂ levels in the culture medium throughout the incubation period. It also provides a more stable pH than systems with sealed culture bottles.Acknowledgments. We would like to thank Mr B. Secker, Mr C. Hellon and Mr S. J. Ellis, of the Physiological Laboratory workshop, for constructing the rotator apparatus. We also thank the Medical Research Council, London, for financial support for the project.     

Enrichment of CO2 and magnesium in early stages of biomineralization

Summary Simultaneous topochemical analyses of calcium, magnesium, carbonate (as CO₂) and phosphorus in a mineralizing collagen rich system (turkey tibia tendon) showed a strong enrichment of Mg and CO₂ in the prestages of biomineralization.We thank the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft for support and Mr E. Kalthoff for assistance.     

Inhibitory effects of 1-iodo-3-aminomethyl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-2-naphthol (ONO-3122) and prostaglandin H2 on vasopressin-induced osmotic water flow in toad bladder

Summary Both 1-iodo-3-aminomethyl-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-2-naphthol (ONO-3122), which increases endogenous PGH₂, and PGH₂ itself, significantly depressed vasopressin-induced osmotic water flow in the toad bladder. These results suggest that ONO-3122 increases endogenous PGH₂ synthesis, and that PGH₂ and/or its metabolites inhibit vasopressin-induced water flow.I am grateful to Mr Y. Nara and Mrs S. Sugawara for their excellent technical assistance. This work supported in part by grant from the Life Science Laboratories.     

Effects of hypo and hyperosmotic media on rabbit renal cortical slices

Summary Rabbit kidney cortex slices behave as osmometers when withstanding either hyperosmotic shocks or hypoosmotic shocks of amplitude up to P₁/P₂=1.25. For hypo-osmotic shocks of amplitude larger or equal to P₁/P₂=1.5 a volume regulation process occurs. Na⁺ is the main osmotic effector implicated in volume control.This work has been aided by a grant 1.5.422.82F from the FNRS to R.G. We wish to thank Mr J.M. Theate for his skilful assistance.     

Cadmium-113 FT NMR-spectra of rabbit liver metallothioneins

Summary Cadmium-113 FT NMR-spectra of rabbit liver metallothionein-I and-II gave 6 and 7 NMR-signals, respectively, at between 610 and 670 ppm downfield from aqueous Cd(ClO₄)₂ solution (0.1 M).We thank Mr M. Imanari (JEOL) for the NMR-data and Dr K. Kubota (NIES) for encouragement.     

Serum and bile modifications in the guinea-pig following chronic treatment with PGE1 and PGE2

Summary PGE₁ increases cholesterolemia without lipemia modifications. In bile there are not modifications in cholesterol levels and total lipids appear diminished. PGE₂ raise the lipemia and have no effect in cholesterolemia, moreover bile cholesterol and total lipids exhibit no changes. Both PGE₁ and PGE₂ decreased the bile volume.Acknowledgment. The authors wish to express their thanks to the Upjohn Laboratory for kindly furnishing the prostaglandins employed, with the relevant bibliography, and to Mr.F. A. Mori for the English translation.     

Penetration of phospholipases A2 and C into the squid (Loligo pealii) giant axon

Summary Following 1 h exposure, the level of phospholipase A₂ penetration into the axoplasm of the squid giant axon was 107 to 350% of that in the external media; corresponding values for phospholipase C were 18 to 31%. Phospholipases can therefore be used to study phospholipid function in axons since they can penetrate through connective tissue and Schwann cell to reach the axolemma.I thank Dr.Toshio Narahashi for allowing me to use his laboratory facilities at the Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, Mass. for the dissection of squid axons. Expert technical assistance in these studies were provided by Mr.Steven Trudel and Mr.Stuart Owen Rosenberg. This work was supported in part by a grant from the University of Connecticut Research Foundation.     

Cytogenetic analysis of bone marrow cells and spermatogonia of male mice after in vivo treatment with arsenic

Summary Male Swiss Albino mice were injected i.p. with an As₂O₃ solution (0; 4; 8 and 12 mg As/kg) and sacrificed 12, 24, 36 and 48 h after injection. Neither chromatid nor chromosome aberrations were observed in bone marrow cells and spermatogonia.Acknowledgments. We thank Mr L. De Langhe for skillfull technical help. We acknowledge this work was supported by a grant of the Ministery of Public Health.     

Increased liver calcium after calcium or milk gavage in rats

Summary For 1 or 2 h following a gavage of milk or 300 mM CaCl₂ (2 ml/100 g b.wt), rats had an increased liver calcium content when compared to rats receiving a deionized water gavage.Supported in part by a grant from the National Science Foundation (PCM 75-23603). We are grateful to Mr John O'Brien for his technical assistance.     

On the time course of thyrotropin suppression by high doses of thyroid hormones

Summary Basal and stimulated TSH decreased progressively. Basal TSH was suppressed below the detection limit of 0.4 U/ml after 74 h in 2 of the T₃ and all of the T₄ treated indiduals. At this time, in both groups 3 individuals could be significantly stimulated by TRH (about 5% of the pretreatment stimulation). There was no significant difference in the time course of suppression obtained by T₃ or T₄, though plasma T₃ levels in the T₄ treated group were considerably lower.Supported by the Deutsche ForschungsgemeinschaftThe excellent technical assistance of MissM. Knöpfle, MissU. Neun and Mr.G. Magin is gratefully acknowledged.     

Furospongolide,a new C21 furanoterpene from a marine organism

Summary The structure of a new linear C₂₁ furanoterpene, furospongolide (1), obtained from the marine spongeDysidea herbacea, was determined by spectral means.We thank Professor J. Vacelet for the identification and Dr Loya and Mr Benayahu for the collection of the sponge.     

Ultrastructural studies of Morris hepatoma cells reversely transformed by ginsenosides

Summary Ginsenosides, which were extracted from Panax ginseng, C. A. Meyer, induced well the development of subcellular organelles in cultured Morris hepatoma cells (MH₁C₁).Acknowledgments. We wish to thank Mr H. Konishi, Mrs H. Makino, Mrs Y. Nakayabu and Miss N. Honjo for their excellent technical assistance.     

Reduction of aflatoxin B1 with zinc borohydride: An efficient preparation of aflatoxicol

Summary A simple and mild reduction of aflatoxin B₁, involving treatment of aflatoxin B₁ with ethereal zinc borohydride to give 57–65% yield of diastereomeric aflatoxicols, is described.This work was supported by the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and by Public Health Service Research, grant No. CA 15064, from the National Cancer Institute, and by funds from contributions of food industries to the Food Research Institute. We are grateful to Professor Dennis Hsieh for a gift of natural aflatoxicol, to Mr William Harder for technical assistance throughout this investigation, and to Mr Gary Girdaukas for taking mass spectra.     

Pentagastrin activation of adenylate cyclase in human gastric biopsy specimens

Summary Adenylate cyclase activity of human fundic mucosa is log-normally distributed and equally stimulated by pentagastrin and histamine. Cimetidine inhibits the histamine, but not the pentagastrin effect, which is even intensified by H₂-receptor blockade. The results indicate that pentagastrin and histamine activate adenylate cyclase via distinct receptors.Acknowledgments. This study was supported by a grant from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft. The helpfull technical assistence of Mr W. Beer is gratefully acknowledged.     

The bisphosphonates HEBP and AHPrBP but not AHBP inhibit mineral mobilization and lysosomal enzyme release from mouse calvarial bones in tissue culture

Summary Mice injected with DSP-4 [N-(2-chloroethyl)-N-ethyl-2-bromobenzylamine], a selective noradrenergic neurotoxin, had marked depletions of central noradrenaline and an attenuated post-decapitation reflex. DSP-4-treated mice exhibited an increased sensitivity to the ₂-adrenoceptor agonist clonidine as measured by inhibition of the pinna reflex, but normal sensitivity as measured by hypothermia. This differential sensitivity may reflect the presence of supersensitive postsynaptic ₂-adrenoceptors in some, but not all, CNS regions after DSP-4 treatment.Acknowledgments. The authors gratefully acknowledge the excellent technical assistance of Mr P. E. Richards. DSP-4 hydrochloride and clonidine hydrochloride were synthesized by Beecham Pharmaceuticals Research Division.     

Structure of two biologically active sesquiterpenoid amino-quinones from the marine spongeDysidea avara

Summary The structures of 2 minor constituents of the marine spongeDysidea avara, which induce developmental aberrations in sea-urchin eggs, are described. The structures were confirmed also by a simple synthesis from avarol (1).Acknowledgments. The authors wish to thank Mr A. Crispino for his skillfull laboratory technical assistance. Thanks are also due to Mr C. Di Pinto (NMR) and Mr A. Milone (MS).     

Preparation of specific antiserum againstRana esculenta pre-α lens crystallin

Summary Specific antiserum againstRana esculenta lens pre- crystallin was prepared in a rabbit by injecting antigen-antibody precipitate of this crystallin obtained from immunoelectrophoresis ofesculenta total soluble lens proteins against homologous antiserum.Acknowledgments. We thank Mr.A. Wachter for the excellent technical help, Mr.Th. Hulskes and Mr.A. M. v. Egeraat for the illustrations and finally Dr.W. E. Hawkins for valuable discussion.     

Methyllycaconitine,a naturally occurring insecticide with a high affinity for the insect cholinergic receptor

Summary Studies of extracts ofDelphinium seeds, long known to be insecticidal, revealed that a principal insecticidal toxin was methyllycaconitine, which is shown to be a potent inhibitor of -bungarotoxin binding to housefly heads (K_inh=2.5×10^–10±0.5×10^–10M).Calgary for gifts of MLA, citrate and lycoctonine, and Dr W. Bowers of the University of Arizona for the original extract ofDelphinium seeds. We would also like to acknowledge the able technical support of Ms C. Dushin, Mr E.L. Bowman, Dr C. C. Gagne, Mr R. F. Borysewicz and Dr P. Mowery for his assistance in obtaining and interpreting the carbon-13 NMR spectra.     

Level of marker enzymes in spermatogenesis on administration of PGF2a in rats

Summary Intrapertioneal administration of PGF_2a in rats significantly increased testicular acid phosphatase (p<0.05), decreased hyaluronidase (p<0.05), whereas the activities of 5-nucleotidase, N-acetyl-B-glucosaminidase, B-galactosidase and uridine diphosphatase remained unaffected.Acknowledgment. We are grateful to Dr D. Sundaresan, for his interest in the study and to Mr B. M. Sharma for technical assistance.     

Karyotypes of several frogs from Korea,Taiwan and the Philippines

Summary Rana amurensis coreana, R. plancyi chosenica, R. latouchii, R. narina andOoeidozyga laevis have 2n=26 chromosomes,R. kuhlii has 2n=22, andKaloula picta has 2n=28. Males ofR. narina have a conspicuous heteromorphic pair, No. 8, which might play a rôle in sex-determination.Supported in part by a grant from the Japan-American Scholarship Foundation.I wish to thank Dr H.K. Kim, Dr Y.-S. Liang, Dr V. Samson-Carino, Mr C.-S. Wang, Mr P.S. Lin and Mr B. Durusan for their aid in every aspect during the collecting trips.