The 5-Hydroxytryptamine content of the brain and some other organs of the hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) during activity and hibernation

Zusammenfassung Der 5-Hydroxytryptamingehalt des Igelhirns während der kalten Jahreszeit und besonders während des Winterschlafs war stets höher als mitten im Sommer. Die grösste Zunahme wurde in den Grosshirnhemisphären gefunden. Mechanismus und physiologische Bedeutung der Änderung wurde diskutiert und dabei angenommen, dass diese im Zusammenhang mit einer autonomen Regelung des Hibernationszustandes stehe.     

Arousal threshold in the cat as a function of sleep phase and stimulus significance

Résumé Chez le Chat éveillé après conditionnement au moyen de clicks et de lait, les clicks déclenchent le réveil de manière plus efficace qu'en l'absence de conditionnement. Le seuil d'éveil s'est avéré plus bas lors d'un sommeil accompagné d'ondes lentes de haut voltage que pendant le sommeil paradoxal.

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Supported by NSF Grant No. GB 1965.     

Electroencephalographic studies in toad (Bufo melanostictus) following prolonged exposure to heat during hibernation and non-hibernation

Résumé L'électroencephalogramme des grenouilles qui ont été exposées à 48°C pendant 8 jours durant la nonhibernation révéla une extrême «low voltage fast activity» avec une absence complète de la «high voltage slow activity» (HVSA). L'hibernation (à 58°C pendant 8 jours) montra un HVSA irrégulier à régulier avec 100% d'augmentation en longuer et quelques méchanismes corticaut et subcorticaux restent actifs même lors d'une prolongation de la chaleur.     

Arborization phenomenon (AP) in semen

Zusammenfassung Das Auftreten der sogenannten ? AP ?- oder ? PL ?-Kristallisationsreaktion in gelagerten Samen (Sperma) von drei Spezies (Kaninchen, Bulle und Mensch) wird beschrieben und mikrophotographisch demonstriert. Es wird versucht, eine Interpretation und Korrelation zwischen einigen der früheren wichtigsten Laboratoriums-und klinischen Beobachtungen zu geben.      

The role of cyclic adenosine monophosphate in the swarming phenomenon ofProteus mirabilis

Summary The levels of cyclic AMP and adenyl cyclase in swarming and non-swarming cells ofProteus mirabilis and the effect of glucose on swarming have been investigated. The results indicate that cAMP is required for swarming, but that the flagellar derepression characteristic of swarming does not result from increased cAMP levels.One of the authors (JPA) thanks the S.R.C. for financial support.     

Circadian variation of adrenocortical cyclic nucleotides (cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP) in hypophysectomized rats

Summary The existence of a circadian variation in the adrenocortical concentrations of cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP in male adult Wistar rats examined 10 days after hypophysectomy is demonstrated. The results suggest that the circadian variations of adrenocortical cyclic nucleotides observed previously in intact rats might not entirely depend upon pituitary corticotrophin.Acknowledgment. Thanks are due to Prof. J. M. Racadot and Dr Y. Drouet for their assistance with the histological examinations.     

Circadian variation of adrenocortical cyclic nucleotides (cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP) in hypophysectomized rats

The existence of a circadian variation in the adrenocortical concentrations of cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP in male adult Wistar rats examined 10 days after hypophysectomy is demonstrated. The results suggest that the circadian variations of adrenocortical cyclic nucleotides observed previously in intact rats might not entirely depend upon pituitary corticotrophin.     

Ribosomal crystallization and hibernation in a viviparous lizard]

Part of the ribosomes crystallize in the ovarian follicles during hibernation. The association between ribosomes crystals and endoplasmic reticulum membranes depends on the cell types of the follicle. The cytoplasm of oocytes with a nucleolus shows ribosome crystals. In larger oocytes, without nucleolus, there is no ribosome crystallization. The ribosomes which crystallize would be newly synthesized.     

The role of cyclic adenosine monophosphate in the swarming phenomenon of Proteus mirabilis.

The levels of cylic AMP and adenyl cyclase in swarming and non-swarming cells of Proteus mirabilis and the effect of glucose on swarming have been investigated. The results indicate the cAMP is required for swarming, but that the flagellar derepression characteristic of swarming does not result from increased cAMP levels.     

Seasonal variations in the blood testosterone and thyroxine levels in the hedgehob (Erinaceus europaceus L)]

In adult male European Hedgehogs, which were studied outdoors, the plasma levels of both testosterone and thyroxine exhibited a marked annual cycle with a minimum in autumn and a maximum during spring and summer. The winter resumption of the testicular activity started already during the phase of hibernation and was concomitant with an increase of the plasma thyroxine level. The plasma titers of the two hormones dropped down together in August. The correlation between both hormones was less close from May through July.     

Difference in electrical activity during wakefulness and the phase of ‘sleep with muscular twitches’ as recorded from the cortex of the marsupialDidelphis azarae (South American opossum)

Resumen Se ha observado una neta diferencia entre los registros electroencefalográficos de la vigilia y la fase de « Sueño con sacudidas musculares » del MarsupialDidelphis azarae según sea la posición de los electrodos sobre la corteza cerebral.     

Cyclic variation in the amplitude of a brain stem reflex during sleep and wakefulness

Zusammenfassung In frei beweglichen Katzen wurden Veränderungen des Reflexes zum Musculus massetericus während des Schlafes und im Wachzustand untersucht. Eine graduelle Abnahme der Amplitude des Reflexes wurde beobachtet, wenn die Tiere vom Wachzustand über eine «schläfrige Phase» (drowsy state) in die sogenannte «ruhige Schlafphase» (quiet sleep) gelangten. Während des paradoxalen Schlafes (active sleep) waren die Amplituden der Reflexpotentiale hochgradig herabgesetzt.

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This research was supported by a grant from the USPHS (MH-10083) and by the Veterans Administration.

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This work has received bibliographic aid from the UCLA Brain Information Service which is a part of the National Information Network of the NINDB, and supported under Contract No. PH-43-66-59.     

Excitability changes during paradoxical sleep in the rat

Résumé Le passage de la phase de sommeil avec ondes lentes à la phase ?paradoxale? et souvent aussi du sommeil paradoxal à l'éveil, sont accompagnés chez le rat d'un commencement ou d'une accentuation de l'activité dite ?spindling? dans l'écorce. Des changements phasiques de la fréquence des ondes ϑ dans l'hippocampe se produisirent pendant les périodes paradoxales. Nous n'avons pas remarqué de corrélations entre ces phénomènes.

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This work was supported in part by the US Public Health Service (grant NB-01883) and in part by the US Air Force Office of Scientific Research (grant AF-AFOSR 246-63).     

Behavioral phenomenology of sleep (somatic and vegetative)

Conclusions The foregoing analysis of behavioral sleep phenomenology shows that the most significant factual and theoretical aspects of sleep can be logically organized only according to several criteria, it being impossible to choose a singli one as truly paradigmatic. For this reason an ordinal classification of sleep phases was preferred. This fact does not detract from the usefulness of classifications based consistently on 1 criterion at a time (e.g.: synchronized-desynchronized; quiet-active; orthodoxical-paradoxical; NREM-REM; homeostatic-poikilostatic; spindle wave-slow wave-fast wave; external appetitive-internal appetitive-internal consummatory; and so on). In this respect, the bioelectrical classification is surely the best as it allows an analytical subdivision of the evolution of sleep with high resolving power^137–139. In particular, the electroencephalographic activity of late phase II (stage 4 in man¹³⁹ and slow wave¹¹ or deep slow wave¹⁴⁰ sleep in the cat) appears to be related to the triggering mechanisms and to the quantitative regulation of the circadian amount of phase III^3,5,11,140. However, in extending the field of functional implications of sleep phenomenology other criteria may be more significant. In fact, the somatic and vegetative events of sleep also lend themselves to an analysis according to the behavioral model of ethology^6,141–144 and the theory of homeostasis^{3–5, 145}, respectively. As an example, a number of classifying criteria are indicated in the table, where others, particularly neurochemical ones^146,147, could be added. At any rate, the difficulty of organizing sleep events into a satisfactory operational scheme is due to the fact that sleep is still an open problem as far as its mechanisms and functional significance are concerned.     

The content of non-esterified fatty acids and glycerol in the blood of the hedgehog during the hibernation period

Zusammenfassung Es wird gezeigt, dass der Gehalt der freien Fettsäuren im Blutserum des Igels während des Erwachens aus dem Winterschlaf sehr kräftig steigt. Die Lipolyse ist schon bei einer Körpertemperatur von + 6°C sehr beträchtlich. Das braune Fettgewebe ist während des Erwachens sehr aktiv.

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Dedicated to Prof.H. Mislin on the occasion of his 60th birthday.     

Regional blood flows during desynchronized sleep in the cat

Riassunto Durante il sonno desincronizzato del gatto, non si ha una vasodilatazione generalizzata a tutti i letti vascolari. Mentre il distretto mesenterico si dilata, quello muscolare si costringe. La vasodilatazione viscrale dipende da una diminuita attività simpatica; per la vasocostrizione muscolare, invece, bisogna pensare, oltre che a meccanismi nervosi, anche a fattori meccanici e metabolici.

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This research has been sponsored by Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (Gruppo di Medicina Sperimentale), and by a PHS fellowship to D. B. Adams.