Estimation of the methylating capacity of the pineal gland. With special reference to indole metabolism

Summary In order to obtain more information on the methylating capacity of the pineal gland, a method determining the formation of different 5-methoxyindoles in the pineal gland was developed. The method depends on measuring the incorporation of labelled methyl groups into the various hydroxyindoles present in the pineal gland, after incorporation of pineal tissue with labelled S-adenosyl methionine. Hydroxyindoles were not added to the incubation medium. After incubation thin-layer chromatography was performed with pineal tissue together with the incubation medium; the spots were scraped and counted.The authors wish to express their gratitude to Prof. Dr. J.C. van de Kamer and Dr F.C.G. van de Veerdonk for their stimulating interest in these studies.     

Anticomplementary fraction from the poisonous secretion of the paratoid gland of the toad (Bufo marinus paracnemis Lutz)

Summary Fractionation of the poisonous secretion of the toadBufo marinus paracnemis Lutz, by dialysis and chromatography on QAE-Sephadex, led to the isolation of a fraction which was adsorbed to the ion exchanger. This fraction, when incubated with human serum, yielded an anticomplementary effect that was evaluated by measuring the kinetics of lytic activity on sensitized sheep red cells (classical pathway) and unsensitized rabbit cells (alternative pathway).We are very much indebted to Dr Lewis J. Greene for valuable discussions. Thanks are due to Dr Antonio C. Nero and Miss Ester G. Silva for their cooperation. This work was supported in part by Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP).     

Leucocyte invasion of the vaginal epithelium in the absence of bacteria in mice

Summary Influx of leucocytes in the vagina at metoestrus occurs in germfree mice and also in sterile isotransplants of vaginal tissue in conventional mice. In contrast to the situation in rats, bacteria thus do not seem to be required for the production of postovulatory leucotactic stimuli in the vagina.Acknowledgments. Data with germfree mice could be obtained through the generous cooperation of Prof. Dr F. Wensinck and Dr M. P. Hazenberg (Dept. Medical Microbiology, Erasmus University), C. Lekkerkerker and J. ten Veen (TNO, Zeist, The Netherlands). The skillfull cooperation of Miss P. D. M. van der Vaart and Mrs A. Verschoor-Burggraaf is gratefully acknowledged.     

Cholesterol content and cholesterol esterifying activity of various organs in guinea pigs

Summary In various organs of the guinea pig, the total cholesterol content of an organ was significantly correlated with the percentage of esterified cholesterol present in this organ. Cholesterol esterifying capacity was shown in most organs, with highest activities in the adrenals, the spleen and the liver. The significant correlation found between the cholesteryl ester content of an organ and its acyl cholesterol acyltransferase activity suggests a possible role of this enzyme in determining the level of the total and esterified cholesterol in a tissue.This work was supported by a grant Crédit aux Chercheurs du Fonds National de la Recherche Scientifique of Belgium.Acknowledgments. I am indebted to Prof. C. Harvengt for his stimulating interest and helpful suggestions. I wish to thank Y. van Nieuwenhuyze and J. Costermans for their valuable laboratory assistance and Dr H. Baudon for pathological studies.     

Immunological blocking of exogenous and endogenous secretin in the dog

Summary In mongrel dogs with chronic gastric and duodenal fistula the biological activity of secretin on exocrine pancreatic secretion could be blocked by preincubating the secretin injected with rabbit antisecretin antibody. In addition, the activity of endogenous secretin released by acid was markedly reduced by application of antibody. Since no such effect was observed after testmeal stimulation, secretin is most probably not released in a significant amount by the liquid meal used in this experiment.This work was supported by grant No. 3.816-0.76 of the Swiss National Foundation for Scientific Research.We express our thanks to Miss G. van Hees, Mrs L. Jecker and Dr F. Meyer for their excellent technical assistance, Dr W. W. Rittmann for the surgical support, Dr G.A. Stalder for general advice, Dres R. Studer and D. Gillessen for providing secretin Roche, and Mrs C. Frei for secretarial work.     

The presence of monoamines in the nervous system ofPeripatopsis (Onychophora)

Summary Preliminary observations of formaldehyde-induced fluorescence support the suggestion that monoamines such as noradrenaline, dopamine and 5-hydroxytryptamine are transmitter agents in the central nervous system of Onychophora.Acknowledgments. We wish to thank Dr M. Fillenz for valuable advice and for generously enabling this work to be carried out, and we are indebted to Dr V. van der Lande for material.     

Effect of experimental chronic renal failure upon the production of urea,as measured by the liver arginase activity in rats

Summary A significant diminution in liver arginase activity of chronic renal failure uremic rats is described, thus implying that the experimental finding of an increased urea production is not due to a depressed arginase activity.This work was supported by the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico do Brasil's Grants. —Acknowledgments. We are indebted to Mr D'Arrochela Lobo for technical assistance, Mr Celso Chiarin for the statistical review and Dr C.E. Tosta and Dr Linda Caldas for helpful advice.     

The isolation of dehydrodiisoeugenol from the aril ofMyristica fragrans Houtt

Résumé On a pu isoler le déshydrodiisoeugénol de l'arille deMyristica fragrans Houtt. (fleur de muscade).

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Acknowledgments. The authors wish to express their thanks to Dr.W. D. Jamieson and MrD. Embree of the Atlantic Regional Laboratory for the mass spectroscopic data and to Dr.E. von Rudloff and Mr.W. C. Haid of the Prairie Regional Laboratory (Saskatoon) for the 100 MHz NMR data.     

Variations of the labelling index in vitro of rat mammary gland in pregnancy and early lactation

Summary The labelling index of rat mammary gland during oestrus, pregnancy and early lactation was studied in vitro. The implications concerning the existence of a critical cell division are discussed.The authors wish to thank G. Th. J. Rödiger for his technical assistance and Prof. Dr. C. van der Meer for his professional advice.     

Hybridization between Robertsonian karyotypic races of the common shrewSorex araneus

Summary British common shrews of the Aberdeen, Oxford and Hermitage Robertsonian karyotypic races were hybridized successfully in captivity. Hybrids, both simple Robertsonian heterozygotes and double Robertsonian heterozygotes with monobrachial homology, have been identified in an area of contact between the Oxford and Hermitage races. The relative fertility of these two types of hybrid is considered.I thank Dr. C. E. Ford F. R. S., Prof. F. W. Robertson and Dr A. E. Douglas for reading earlier drafts of this paper, Prof. F. W. Robertson, Dr J. R. K. Savage and Dr J. R. Clarke for laboratory facilities, Mrs J. E. Evans for technical assistance and S.E.R.C. for financial support.     

A novel tetracyclic sesquiterpene from the oil of orejuela ofCymbopetalum penduliforum (Dunal)

Résumé De l'éther de pétrole extrait de l'huile de l'Orejula (Cymbopetalum penduliforum Dunal, Baill) fut examiné pour son contenu en terpènes. On a isolé les sesquiterpènes tétracycliques (ishwarone). L'évidence chimique et spectral appuie la constitution chimique et sa conversion à isoishwarone.

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The authors are grateful to Dr.F. Will, Mr.W. F. Kuhn and Mr.G. Vilcins for their valuable analytical data and to Dr.R. F. Dawson for the oil of orejuela and Dr.P. C. Parthasarathy for the authentic sample of isoishwarane. We wish to thank ProfessorsA. Burger andN. H. Cromwell for helpful discussions.     

Effect of age on distribution of acidic glycosaminoglycans in normal human urine: Special reference to proportion of chondroitin sulfate A to the C-isomer

Résumé Le sulfate A de chondroitine est un acide glycosaminoglycanes principal chez les enfants normaux. Mais cette substance diminue avec l'age, tandis que le sulfate C de chondroïtine a une tendance à augmenter. Il en résulte une diminution, de l'action du sulfate A sur le sulfate C. La prépondérence du sulfate C de chondroïtine se manifeste après l'adolescence. Il augmente continuellement au cours de la vie.

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Acknowledgments. Grateful thanks are due to Prof.Y. Horiuchi for his interest and encouragement. We are indebted to Dr.T. Ishikawa and Dr.H. Ninomiya for preparing normal human urine. The present study was supported by a grant in aid for scientific research from the Education Ministry in Japan.     

Electrophoretic behaviour of some human blood cells

Riassunto Viene riportato uno studio sui gruppi carichi alla superficie di alcune cellule del sangue, usando la tecnica della microelettroforesi. Differenze in mobilità elettroforetica, in funzione del pH, per piastrine, eritrociti, linfociti e granulociti sono presentate.The authors wish to thank Dr.C. A. Bouvier and Dr.J. Ritschard of the Hôpital Cantonal de Genève for their advice and encouragement.     

Chemical studies of marine invertebrates. XXVII. On the absolute configuration of aromadendrane sesquiterpenes from the soft coral Cespitularia aff. subviridis

Summary Allo-aromadendrene, (-) viridiflorol and (+) ledol have been identified as minor constituents of the soft coral Cespitularia aff. subviridis.For part XXVI, see Y. M. Sheikh, C. Djerassi, J. C. Braekman, D. Daloze, M. Kaisin, B. Tursch an R. Karlsson, Tetrahedron (in press).Acknowledgments. This work was supported by NATO Research Grant ES-003. We thank Dr J. Verseveldt for the identification of the animal.Chercheur Qualifité du Fonds National de la Recherche Scientifique Belge.Service de Chimie Organique E. P.     

Epidermal sensitivity to hypoxia in the lugworm

Summary Physiological and anatomical data support the idea that in the caudal epidermis of the lugworm,Arenicola marina (L.), there are chemoreceptors detecting variations of oxygen partial pressure in the ambient water.This research was partly supported by a C.N.R.S. grant, AI No. 582 085. We thank Dr P. Dejours and Dr J. Taxi for helpful comments and discussion, Mrs S. Dejours for editing the English of this paper, M.F. Baucher, A. Dorme, F. Kleinbauer, the staff of the Station Biologique de Roscoff and the Service de Microscopie Electronique, C.N.R.S., boulevard Raspail, Paris, for technical assistance.     

Pyrolysis of cannabidiol. Structure elucidation of a major pyrolytic conversion product

Summary Pyrolysis of cannabidiol, one of the major constituents of Cannabis sativa, yields a mixture of components. Next to previously identified products, a major conversion product has now been isolated and identified. The unusual and stereospecific route of formation of this compound with altered chromophore is discussed.Acknowledgments. This research was supported by the Dutch Department of Public Health and Environmental Hygienics. Thanks are due to R. D. van Ooyen who provided technical assistance, Dr M. J. A. de Bie and Dr W. Heerma for valuable discussions, Drs J. W. Marsman and Ir T. Spoormaker for performing PMR experiments.     

The effect of the venom of the digger wasp Philanthus on the fast and slow excitatory and the inhibitory system in the locust muscle

Zusammenfassung Es wird gezeigt, dass das Gift der Wespe Philanthus triangulum F. bei der Heuschrecke eine reversible Muskellähmung bewirkt, die auf einer Blockierung der Axon-Muskel-Synapse der «schnellen» Faser beruht. Die Synapse der langsamen und hemmenden Faser wird offenbar nicht beeinflusst.

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This work has been supported in part by the European Research Office, United States Army, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

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Acknowledgments: I am indebted to Prof. Dr. C.van der Meer for his constant help and criticism and to Dr. R. T.Simon Thomas for providing the wasps. I wish to thank Mr. E.Engels for all the technical work.     

Possible genetic consequences of meiosis in pocket gopher (Thomomys bottae) populations

Resumen El analisis de la primera división meiótica des roeder fosorial,Thomomys bottae, muestra una uniformidad notable en la colocación de quiasmas en los bivalentes, a pesar de las diferencias existentes en los cariotipos somáticos. La frecuencia promedio de quiasmas por bivalente es muy baja (1.03), y la mayoria de los bivalentes demuestran que sus quiasmas se localizan en o cerca de un estremo del par.

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Acknowledgment is given to Dr.W. B. Heed and Dr.C. J. Cole for enlightening discussions and to my wife,Carol Patton, for aid in the field. Financial assistance was provided by an institutional biomedical sciences support grant from the National Institutes of Health and from the Committee on Research, University of California, Berkeley.     

Presence of ecdysone and ecdysterone in the tickAmblyomma hebraeum Koch

Summary Ecdysone and ecdysterone, the moulting hormones of insects and crustaceans, are also present in nymphs of the tickAmblyomma hebraeum. They were demonstrated by means of radioimmunoassay and of gas-liquid chromatography combined with mass fragmentography or mass spectrometry of their trimethylsilyl-drivatives.Acknowledgments. We thank Proff. A. Aeschlimann and C. Noirot and Dr J. Delachambre for their help and encouragement. We are grateful to Proff. Maume and Padieu (Département de Biochimie, Université de Dijon) for the use of the LKB 9000 GLC-MS, and to Drs M. L. De Reggi, M. H. Hirn and Prof. M. A. Delaage for the gift of some RIA-antigens and antibodies. We thank Ciba-Geigy Ltd for the supply with ticks. The work was in part supported by grant Nr. 3. 734. 76 of the Swiss National Science Foundation and by a grant of the Emil Barrel Stiftung.     

The effect of theophylline on the actions of Pancreozymin and Secretin

Résumé Chez le chat, l'injection intravéneuse de théo phylline qui, comme on sait, produit une accumulation de l'AMP cyclique, augmente aussi l'effet de la pancréozymine sur la production des protéines pancréatiques et de la sécrétine sur celle de la pepsine.

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This work was supported by Grant No. MA3093 from the Medical Research Council of Canada to Dr. J. C.Brown.