Some observations on the Rohon-Beard cell perikaryon.

During the hatching period, the Rohon-Beard cells of Salmo gairdneri showed definite structural maturity of their perikarya, which is in contrast to the amphibian species investigated, where neuronal maturation of the Rohon-Beard cells is finished only in later -- posthatching -- developmental stages.     

Photobiochemistry without light

Summary Efficient excited state formation — much higher than that hitherto expected — may occur in organelles and in intact cells. Excited triplet states can be enzymatically generated in high yields by different routes. An example is the oxidation of isobutanal to acetone and formic acid, catalyzed by horseradish peroxidase. Other enzymatic systems that generate triplet carbonyls are linear aliphatic aldehydes when oxidized by peroxidase/O₂, or the indole-3-acetic acid/peroxidase/O₂-reaction. The latter is widespread in plants.This new field — photobiochemistry without light — has led to a growing awareness of the idea that cells may utilize excited states to trigger photochemical processes even in the dark. Such phenomena are of considerable importance, also for the understanding of weak photon emission from biological systems.     

Untersuchungen über den Wirkungsmechanismus von Procarbazin (Natulan®)

Summary The cytotoxic methylhydrazine derivative procarbazine or Natulan® has a marked influence on the synthesis of deoxyribonucleic acid in Ehrlich ascites carcinoma cells. The incorporation of³H-thymidine into DNA — measured by autoradiographic methods — is inhibited.     

Age and evolution of bacteria

Summary Age and evolution of bacteria can be estimated, including facts and hypotheses belonging to morphology, biochemistry, paleontology, ecology and pathogenicity. The corresponding dates are summarized in the following.About 3.5×10⁹ years: Origin of heterotrophic eobiontes.—About 3.0×10⁹ years: The increasing lack of prebiogenic substances is due to the evolution of the respiratory pathway, that is due to the evolution of the photoautotrophy and now released O₂ is due to the evolution of strictly aerobic cells. There is, simultaneously, a transition of spheres to long forms, development of an amoebalike motility, the evolution of spirochetes and the substitution of cholesterol for cardiolipin in the more evolved cells (i.e. strictly aerobic cells etc.).—About 2.0×1.0×10⁹ years: Evolution of the eucyte by symbiosis of a great, primitive, anaerobic, cholesterol-containing cell with a little, strictly aerobic, cardiolipin-containing cell, with a spirochete and in some extent also with photoautotrophic cell.—About 1.0×10⁹ years (maximum: 1.8–1.5×10⁹ years, minimum: 7×10⁸ years): Evolution of metazoa and begin of cell differentiation.—About 2.0–1.0×10⁹ years: Evolution of the bacterial murein sacculus and then development of flagella mediated motility.—About 6×10⁸ years (maximum:1.0×10⁹ years, minimum: 4.5×10⁸ years): Evolution of the gram-negative cell wall.—About 4.0×10⁸ years: Evolution of the gram-positive cell wall.—About 5.0×10⁸ years: Gram-negative, strictly anaerobic bacteria become the first enteric bacteria in coelenterates. About 4.0×10⁸ years: gram-negative, microaerophilic bacteria become Enterobacteriaceae in vertebrates in addition to the strictly anaerobic organisms.—About 3.0–2.0×10⁸ years: Consolidation of the Salmonella in reptiles.—About 2.0–1.5×10⁸ years: Consolidation of Escherichia and other coliform species in mammals.—About 10⁶ years: Evolution of typically human pathogenic organisms, transmitted in homogeneous-homonomous infection ways, i.e. N. gonorrhoeae, S. typhi, T. pallidum, etc.Dedicated to Prof. H. Habs, Bonn, to his 75th anniversary on 11 September 1977.Acknowledgment. I thank Prof. F. Müller, Hamburg, and Prof. P. Sitte, Freiburg i. Br., for stimulating discussions.     

Zur Phagozytose strahlengeschädigter Lymphocyten des Thymus

Summary Part of the lymphocytes of the thymus were phagocytized by epithelial and mesenchymal reticular cells in rats after X-ray irradiation of the whole body. The intracellular decomposition is obviously brought about by the two cellular forms in a different way. Pearl-string-like structures — probably nucleoproteids — were found in the cytoplasma in the case of the epithelial cells. On the other hand, numerous cytoplasma inclusions of different size, which are evidently reduced lymphocytic nuclei, could be observed in the case of the mesenchymal cells.     

Hensen's node — The ’Organizer’ of the amniote embryo

Conclusion If the hundred years of study on theHensen's node — i.e. on gastrulation and early determination of the embryos of amniote vertebrates — teach anything, they teach in the first place how limited and fragmentary our knowledge is about one of the most central problems of the whole developmental biology. We know that the events in early amniote development — or early avian development, on which our data and ideas are nearly all based — in many ways resemble those in early Amphibian development, which is only slightly better understood, but we also know that direct extrapolations from anamniotes to amniotes cannot be made without proper reservations and without studying the amniote embryos themselves. And we have practically no idea of what is really going on in the cells of the blastoderm when they move, invaginate, induce or are induced, interact, become determined and begin their differentiation. We know that at the stages of gastrulation, the node, and indeed the whole blastoderm, is in a very labile state and can be regulated in many ways to produce a harmonious whole — or a monster — although we only understand very poorly the modes of this regulation. The progress made during the decades, and particularly in recent years, shows, however, that useful information is accumulating to produce a coherent picture, and there is no reason to be pessimistic.Dedicated to ProfessorEtienne Wolff on the occasion of his retirement.     

Attività di neurosecrezione nel sistema nervoso di un Turbellario rabdocelo:Mesostoma lingua (Abildg.)

Summary This investigation is concerned with the neurosecretory activity in the cerebral ganglion of a rhabdocoel turbellarian:Mesostoma lingua (Abildg.).It was observed that the neurosecretory activity is primarily localized in the pear-shaped cells, situated near to the region where the external anterior cords arise from the dorsolateral tract of the cerebral ganglion.The neurosecretory material appears to be transported — via the ventral cords — to the transverse cord behind the pharynx, where it is stored. Then, probably, it flows down into the parenchyma.     

Effect of monensin and diabetes on asialoglycoprotein degradation in rat hepatocytes

We have studied the effects of two modulations — streptozotocin-induced diabetes in vivo, and the presence of the carboxylic proton ionophore monensin in vitro — on the degradation of³H-asialoorosomucoid ligand in isolated rat hepatocytes.The ligand was internalized by means of a synchronous wave procedure. Diabetes was associated with a marked decrease in the amount of total degraded radioactive ligand compared to that in normal cells (3.6% and 37.3% of internalized ligand respectively, at 60 min), together with increased secretion of degradation products into the incubation medium (87% and 46.3% of the total degraded ligand was secreted by diabetic and normal cells, respectively). Monensin induced similar effects in normal cells, but had no apparent effect in diabetic cells.     

Prevention of experimental liver metastases by D-galactose

Summary The metastasis of malignant tumors from a primary site to near and distant secondary sites is probably the most important event in the pathogenesis of cancer and it accounts for most cancer deaths¹. Whereas advances in the treatment of primary cancer have led to increased patient survival, metastatic cancers are still the most difficult group of diseases to treat successfully². As organ-characteristic lectins play an important role in the organ manifestation of metastatic islets^3,4, it might be possible (e.g. during surgical operations on malignant tumors) to block those organ-characteristic lectins with the appropriate receptor-bearing glycoconjugates in order to inhibit the metastatic spread. Recent experiments have demonstrated that neuraminidase treatment of tumor cells (mouse sarcoma-1) alters in vivo (Balb/c-mice) the organotropic distribution of metastases; instead of being found exclusively in the lung, they are found both in lung and liver. However, pre-injection and regular application of D-galactose — the same holds for arabinogalactan^5,6,13 — prevents the settling of metastases in the liver but does not influence the metastatic process to the lung, whereas mannan — as a galactose-free control substance — does not alter the initial pattern of metastasis to lung and liver.     

Essais de solubilisation et de détoxification de la Tyrothricine

Summary As Tyrothricin —Dubos's discovery of the antibiotic agent extracted from cultures ofB. brevis — does not give true aqueous solutions and retains, in the colloïdal state of the usually employed solutions, toxic properties for polymorphonuclear blood cells, we have attempted to effect the solubilization and detoxification of this compound. Treatment with formalin in given proportions results in making it water-soluble. The action of the formalin-treated compound on blood cells suspended in Ringer's solution seems to show a loss of toxicity. Subcutaneous and intramuscular injections in mice do not give visible general toxic effects, and the experiments incite to further investigations in this direction.     

Hochenergiephysik

Summary Short Review of the actual state of High Energy Physics: Cosmic ray research — Accelerators for high energy particles — Instruments for detection of fast particles — Classification of elementary particles.     

Structures and molecules involved in generation and regulation of biological rhythms in vertebrates and invertebrates

Melatonin from the retina and the pineal gland functions in neuroendocrine hierarchies. Photoreceptors — eyes and extraretinal — detect light. Oscillators — pineal and suprachiasmatic nuclei — act as pacemakers. Driven neuroendocrine rhythms carry temporal hormone signals throughout the body. Light controls melatonin: light sets the phase of the melatonin rhythm and determines the duration of melatonin synthesis. By these means, circadian rhythms (e.g. in locomotor activity and body temperature) and seasonal rhythms (e.g. in reproduction) are controlled.     

Elektrische Eigenschaften von Glasmikroelektroden nach Membranpotentialmessungen an Zellkulturen

Summary On KB cancer cells in the cover-glass culture with glass micro-electrodes we measured a middle membrane-potential of minus 11–13 mV. It is possible that the electrical qualities of the glass micro-electrodes may alter after some hundred makings of cell-points. An enlargement of the potential on the peak of the electrode (tip-potential) to — 30 mV has no influence on the result of the measuring.     

Morphological evidence for axonal transport of glycogen in neurons innervating cutaneous receptors inLacerta sicula (Squamata: Reptilia)

Summary Three types of glycogen-containing cutaneous nerve terminals — two of them hitherto unknown — are described. It is shown that the glycogen is synthesized in the perikaryon and transferred to the terminals by means of slow axoplasmic transport.     

Geschwindigkeit der selektiven Akkumulation von Mercurascan-203 im geschädigten Muskel und im ischämischen Myokard

Summary The authors demonstrate that a hydroxy derivative of fluorescein — Mercurascan 203 — very rapidly and selectively accumulates in the injured muscle and in the ischaemic myocardium and is cleared rapidly from the blood and other tissues. In vivo, scanning is positive soon after Mercurascan-203 administration.     

Captopril (SQ 14,225): In vitro and in vivo influence on the proliferative response of rat lymphocytes

Summary Captopril in vitro (50–500 g/ml) increased³H-TdR incorporation in unstimulated and mitogen-stimulated cultures of rat lymphocytes. Unseparated spleen and lymph node cells of rats orally treated with captopril (50 mg/kg/day×4) showed decreased basal and mitogen stimulated³H-TdR incorporation. The removal of macrophages abrogated this inhibitory effect. Leucine aminopeptidase activity of macrophages was reduced — in vivo and in vitro — by captopril.Acknowledgments. The authors thank the Squibb Institute for Medical Research for the gift of Captopril. The excellent technical assistance of Ms B. Hasselriis, Ms B. Rumler and Ms E. Greve Petersen is gratefully acknowledged.     

Essais d'inhibition de l'action inflammatoire cutanée du chloroforme chez le rat

Summary (1)—In the rat, total extracts of cortex, cortisone and A.C.T.H. do not retard the fixation of a vital colorant at the level of a cutaneous zone irritated by chloroform.(2)—Phenergan prolongs the delay in the appearance of the blue.(3)—Sodium salicylate selectively inhibits the inflammatory cutaneous action of chloroform, even after adrenalectomy.     

On factors involved in the mechanism of ‘Taste-blindness’

Zusammenfassung Der genetisch kontrollierte, hohe Geschmacksschwellenwert — Geschmacksblindheit — gegenüber Phenylthioharnstoff (PTC) und anderen bitteren, strukturell ähnlichen Anti-Schilddrüsensubstanzen, scheint durch die Qualität und Quantität des löslichen Speichel-Enzym-Systems Tyrosiniodinase bedingt zu sein.PTC-Geschmacksblinde sind «Alles-Esser», PTC-Schmecker hingegen weisen eine erhöhte kulinarische Selektivität auf. Diese Tatsache ist um so interessanter, als der Schwellenwert der beiden Gruppen gegenüber den klassischen Geschmacksqualitäten — süss, salzig, sauer und bitter — derselbe ist.