Comparison of circulating lipoprotein lipase activity in Zuckerfa/fa andFa/-rats

Summary Lipoprotein lipase activity was determined in Zucker rats by assaying VLDL radioactivity. Animals were i.v. injected with³H₂-oleic acid and¹⁴C-glycerol with or without Triton WR 1339. This enzymatic activity was higher infa/fa rats than in non-obeseFa/-rats.     

Bromocriptine/SKF38393 ameliorates islet dysfunction in the diabetic (db/db) mouse

Dysfunction of pancreatic islets plays a crucial role in the etiology of type II diabetes. Chronic hyperglycaemia or hyperlipidaemia may impair islet function. Previous studies by our laboratory have demonstrated that dopaminergic agonists ameliorated hyperglycaemia and hyperlipidaemia in obese and diabetic rodents. In the present study, we investigated the effect of a treatment with the dopamine D₂ /D₁ receptor agonists (bromocriptine/SKF38393, BC/SKF) on islet dysfunction in db/db mice. Our results show that a 2-week BC/SKF treatment markedly reduced hyperglycaemia and hyperlipidaemia, and significantly improved islet dysfunction demonstrated by an increase of secretagogue-stimulated insulin release from islets of db/db mice to levels observed in islets from lean mice. There was also a fourfold increase of insulin content in the pancreas of BC/SKF-treated db/db mice compared with that in untreated controls. The effect of BC/SKF on islet function cannot be mimicked in pair-fed animals. BC/SKF had no direct stimulatory effect on islet insulin secretion, suggesting BC/SKF treatment improved islet function via an indirect mechanism. This treatment markedly improved the abnormally elevated daily levels of corticosterone, blood glucose and plasma lipids, supporting the view that BC/SKF may affect the neuroendocrine system that in turn regulates peripheral metabolism and thereby improves islet function. Received 3 April 1998; accepted 27 April 1998     

Zur Frage der Beziehungen zwischen enddiastolischem Ventrikeldruck unddp/dt bzw.d 2 p/dt 2 der Ventrikeldruckkurve des Herzens

Summary Correlations between left ventricular enddiastolic pressure of the heart and first and second derivation of left ventricular pressure curve (dp/dt, d ² p/dt ² respectively) were examined at various hemodynamic conditions. The results showed only a particular dependence ofdp/dt andd ² p/dt ² from enddiastolic pressure. Therefore, it is concluded, that enddiastolic pressure is not the most important factor, which influences the dynamics of ventricular contraction.     

Sterol fromAegle marmelos

Zusammenfassung -Sitosterol wurde aus Blättern vonAegle marmelos Correa isoliert.     

Terpenoid alkaloids fromMurraya koenigii Spreng. VII1 synthesis ofdl -O-Methylmahanine and related carbazoles

Zusammenfassung Die Synthese vondl-O-Methylmahanine wird beschrieben und damit die Struktur (IIa) für Mahanine bewiesen.

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Part VI.S. P. Kureel, R. S. Kapil andS. P. Popli, Chemy Ind. 1262 (1970).

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Communication No. 1640 from the Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow.     

Ultrastructure of muscle spindles in C57BL/6Jdy 2J/dy 2J dystrophic mice

Summary The sensory organs of skeletal muscles, the muscle spindles, were examined using electron microscopy indy ^2J/dy ^2J dystrophic mice. Despite widespread damage to the extrafusal (skeletomotor) fibres the intrafusal (spindle) fibres appeared normal and seemed resistant to the aetiological factors for murine dystrophy.This work was supported by grants from the Medical Research Council and the Science Research Council of Great Britain.     

Der Mitosezyklus im diploiden und triploiden Wurzelmeristem vonScilla sibirica

Summary In meristematic root tip cells ofScilla sibirica (2n=12 and 3n=18) the following results were obtained with the aid of autoradiography: 1. The average duration of the mitotic cycle (2n=12) is 69.5 h. The G₁-phase lasts 36.5 h, the DNA synthetic phase 17.5 h, the G₂-phase 8 h and mitosis 7.5 h. 2. There are no marked differences in the lengths of the cell cycles nor in the duration of the various phases between diploid and triploid plants.     

Prediction of final data with use of preliminary and/or revised data

In the case of US national accounts the data are revised for the first few years and every decade, which implies that we do not really have the final data. In this paper we aim to predict the final data, using the preliminary data and/or the revised data. The following predictors are introduced and derived from a context of the non-linear filtering or smoothing problem, which are: (1) prediction of the final data of time t given the preliminary data up to time t- 1, (2) prediction of the final data of time t given the preliminary data up to time t, (3) prediction of the final data of time t given the preliminary data up to time T, (4) prediction of the final data of time t given the revised data up to time t -1 and the preliminary data up to time t- 1, and (5) prediction of the final data of time t given the revised data up to time t-1 and the preliminary data up to time t. It is shown that (5) is the best predictor but not too different from (3). The prediction problem is illustrated using US per capita consumption data.     

Chemical promotion of pistillate flower formation inCucurbita

Zusammenfassung Blattspritzungen mit 1,1,5,5,-Tetramethyl-3-dimethyl Amino-dithiobiuret (MATB) induzierten die Bildung weiblicher Blüten bei Gurken (C. sativa) und Kürbis (C. maxima). Diese Wirkung von MATB wurde von Gibberellin A₃ vollständig aufgehoben. Es wurden keine Anzeichen für die Abgabe von Äthylen bei den mit MATB behandelten Pflanzen beobachtet.     

Splenic B-cell activation in lipopolysaccharide-non-responsive C3H/HeJ mice by lipopolysaccharide ofPorphyromonas gingivalis

Porphyromonas gingivalis 381 lipopolysaccharide (LPS) definitely exhibited mitogenic activity in purified B-cells, separated from spleens of LPS-responsive C3H/HeN mice and LPS-non-responsive C3H/HeJ mice by using a magnetic cell sorting system. The mitogenic activity induced byP. gingivalis LPS was incompletely inhibited by polymyxin B.P. gingivalis LPS also induced a higher production of interleukin-6 (IL-6) in splenic B-cells of C3H/HeN mice as compared withEscherichia coli LPS. Furthermore,P. gingivalis LPS, but notE. coli LPS, induced definite IL-6 production in C3H/HeJ mice.P. gingivalis LPS increased tyrosine, serine/threonine phosphorylation of proteins with various major induced bands in splenic B-cells of both C3H/HeN and C3H/HeJ mice. Additionally, radioiodinatedP. gingivalis LPS, similarly toE. coli LPS, bound to a 73-kDa protein on C3H/HeJ as well as C3H/HeN B-cells. ThusP. gingivalis LPS may activate B-cells of C3H/HeJ as well as C3H/HeN mice via the LPS-specific binding protein on the cells.     

Molecular characterization of the p83/100 proteins of variousBorrelia burgdorferi sensu lato strains

Conclusions As in OspA-serotyping experiments, theB garinii group (OspA-sterotype 3–7) showed highest diversity within this internal fragment of p83/100, whereas theB. afzelii group (OspA-type 2) and theB. burgdorferi sensu stricto group (OspA-type 1) were nearly identical. Determination of the size of the PCR products as well as restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis (DraI) can be used for classification into the three species ofB. burgdorferi sensu lato. Since p83/100 is chromosomally encoded, this protein might be a more stable marker for classification than the plasmid-encoded OspA. In contrast to the flagellin gene a subclassification of theB. garinii group is possible due to the diversity of the p83/100 internal fragment.     

Abnormal RNA metabolism in male genital tract of tailless mouse (T/t)

Résumé Le métabolisme du RNA de l'épididyme a été étudié dans une souche de souris anoure, T/t ₆. La courbe d'absorption de la³H-uridine n'est pas différente de celle du témoin C₅₇BL. On a cependant démontré que les processus de sécrétion et d'excrétion sont beaucoup plus lents dans la souche anoure T/t ₆. Ces résultats ont été partiellement confirmés avec une autre souche anoure: T/t ₁₂.     

A long acting respiratory stimulating agent: 1-(4,6Bis allylamino-2-s-triazinyl)-4-(Bis p-fluorobenzhydryl) piperazine (S 2620)

Résumé La (Bis allylamino-4, 6 s-triazinyl-2)-I (bis p-fluorobenzhydryl)-4 pipérazine est un stimulant respiratoire à longue durée d'action et dépourvu d'action stimulante du système nerveux central.     

Lipolytic response of ‘diabetic’ mice (db/db) to isoproterenol and propranolol in vivo

Summary The genetically diabetic and obesedb/db mice responded lipolytically to isoproterenol and propranolol similarly to normal mice in vivo. However, considering the large amount of triglyceride in adb/db mouse, we conclude that the in vivo response ofdb/db adipose tissue is deficient in magnitude.     

Activity of sulfa drugs and dihydrofolate reductase inhibitors againstCandida albicans

Summary Growth ofCandida albicans can be inhibited by sulfa drugs which prevent biosynthesis of folic acid. The dihydrofolate reductase (E.C. 1.5.1.3) inhibitors aminopterin and methotrexate also exhibit anticandidal activity, but trimethoprim does not. Kinetic evaluations withC. albicans dihydrofolate reductase indicate that methotrexate and aminopterin are tight-binding inhibitors whereas trimethoprim binds poorly.     

Spontaneous mutants ofStaphylococcus aureus PS 80

Zusammenfassung Eine Reihe von Mutanten mit verschiedenen Phenotypen wurde nach einfähriger Lagerung desStaphylococcus aureus PS 80 isoliert. Sie untersucheiden sich in mehreren Merkmalen vom Wildtyp. Aus der Tetracyklin-empfindlichen population der PS-80-Zellen wurden Tetracyklin-resistente Mutanten selektiert, die gleichzeitig resistent gegen Streptomycin, Chloramfenikol, Erythromycin, Cephaloridin, Lincomycin und Spiramycin sind.     

On the fate of rabbit antibody/antigen complexes in the presence of normal leucocytesin vitro

Zusammenfassung Exsudatzellen von normalen Meerschweinchen und Kaninchen phagocytieren und spaltenin vitro unlösliche, radioaktiv markierte Antikörper/Antigen-Komplexe. Die Kaninchenantikörper werden sowohl durch Kaninchen- wie auch Meerschweinchenzellen enzymatisch abgebaut.

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Studies on the Fate of Antigenin vitro. II.     

More letters by Paul Feyerabend to Thomas S. Kuhn on Proto-Structure

Four letters by Paul Feyerabend to Thomas Kuhn from the 1950s and 60s were found in Kuhn’s Nachlass at the Institute Archives and Special Collections of MIT. Two of them deal with topics that were at centre stage of the controversy between the two authors that was ignited by Feyerabend’s reading of Proto-Structure, the draft version of Kuhn’s The structure of scientific revolutions. These letters are reprinted here. They are probably the continuation of two letters by Paul Feyerabend to Thomas S. Kuhn formerly published in this journal (Hoyningen-Huene, 1995).     

Flavonoids ofMetrosideros polymorpha (Myrtaceae)

Résumé Dans deux variétés deMétrosideros polymorpha Gaud. (Myrtaceae), nous avons trouvé les favanoides suivants: arabinoside-3, galactoside-3, rhamnoside-3-quercetine, et arabinoside-3, thamnoside-3-myricetine; en outre, deux glycosides en moindre quantité.

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Acknowledgment. The authors are grateful to Prof.Siegel and MissCorn, University of Hawaii, for plant materials and to the N.R.C. of Canada for financial support.     

Effect of simple phenolic glycosides on the elongation ofAvena first internodes

Zusammenfassung Nachweis, dass phenolische Glyjkoside Arbutin und Gein das Wachstum derAvena-Koleoptilen-Schnitte positive beenflussen, was auf eine Beziehung dieser Glycoside zu wachstumregulierenden Mechnaismen hinweist.