Cellular changes of adrenal under the acute stress of O-chlorobenzylidene malononitrile (CS)

Summary This investigation describes histological and cytometrical changes of cortical and medullary tissue of adrenal in rats under the acute stress of O-chlorobenzylidene malononitrile (10 mg/kg and 20 mg/kg). It has been observed that after injection of CS, the adrenal gland showed histological changes both in the cortical and medullary region.The authors are thankful to Dr. P.K. Ramachandran, Director, Defence Research and Development Establishment, Gwalior, for his sustained interest and critical suggestions in the course of this study.     

Effect of butyl alcohol inDatura innoxia Mill

Zusammenfassung Die Behandlung der Samen vonDatura innoxia Mill. mitn-Butylalkohol und Temperaturschock ergibt in der nächsten Generation Pflanzen, deren Samen einen höheren Alkaloidgehalt aufweisen. Das Hauptalkaloid ist Scopolamin (Hyoscin) mit einem Anteil von 50–70% am Gesamtalkaloidgehalt.

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The author is grateful to Dr. K.Ganapathi, Director, and Dr. C. K.Atal, Scientist of this Laboratory, for their interest in the work.Shri Het Singh, Dr. K. L.Dhar and MissSubash Kumari helped by analyzing the seeds which is duly acknowledged.     

Effect of thiamine hydrochloride on the blood level of 2-formyl 1-methyl pyridinium oxime chloride (2-PAM.C1) in rats.

The biological half-life of 2-PAM.C1 was found to increase in female rats pretreated with thiamine hydrochloride (10 mg/kg i.m.). No such effect was observed in the male rats.     

On some interesting features of the hypothalamo-hypophysial vascularization in the lizardHemidactylus flaviviridis

Zusammenfassung Tuscheinjektion lässt Verbindungen der Kapillarnetze in Medinalobus mit denen des Neurallobus der Hypophyse bei einer Eidechse erkennen. Der Intermediärteil ist ganz ohne Gefässe, was im Hinblick auf einen möglichen Hormonfluss von Interesse ist.

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The authors are indebted to Dr.K. N. Udupa, Director, Institute of Medical Sciences and Dr.L. M. Singh, Officer in charge of the laboratory for providing facilities and encouragement. One of us (S.H.) is grateful to the Indian Council of Medical Research for the award of a postdoctoral fellowship, during the tenure of which this work was carried out.     

Studies on Plant extracts with juvenile hormone activity. Effects ofIris ensata Thamb. (Iridaceae) onDysdercus koenigii F. (Pyrrochoridae)

Zusammenfassung Acetonextrakt aus Wurzeln und Rhizomen vonIris ensata hemmen die Metamorphose vonDysdercus koenigii. Adultoide sind schwach fortpflanzungsfähig.

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Acknowledgments: The authors are thankful to Dr.K. Ganapathi, Director, and Dr.A. Husain, Chairman, Discipline of Agricultural Sciences, Regional Research Laboratory, Jammu-Tawi, for the facilities provided for this work. Thanks are also due to Mr.Y. K. Sarin, Incharge, Plant Collection Unit, of the same laboratory for she identification and collection of the plant material.     

A comparative study of tryptophan metabolism in skins and livers of black and albino rats

Summary The skin of black rats contains less tryptophan than the skin of albino rats, possibly because the activity of tryptophan pyrrolase is higher. The opposite is found in liver, possibly because tryptophan pyrrolase activity is lower in the livers of black rats.Acknowledgments. The authors wish to thank Dr S.C. Bhattacharyya and Dr A. K. Barua, Bose Institute, for their interest in the work. The work was supported by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi.     

Effect of stimulation of vagus nerves on gastric tissue histamine concentration in albino rats

Summary 2 different time schedules were applied in order to stimulate vagus nerves around the oesophagus at the region of the cardio-oesophageal junction. The result shows a significant reduction in gastric tissue histamine concentration following vagal stimulation, the reduction being more when the duration of stimulation was longer.The authors are grateful to Dr V. Srinivasan, Director, Sarabhai Research Centre, Baroda, India, for donating the animals required for carrying out this work.     

Robertsonian fusion leading to the formation of stable dicentric chromosome in an ascites cell line of the mouse

Summary The dicentric nature of a marker metacentric chromosome originated by robertsonian fusion has been established in the ascites cells of mouse sarcoma 180. C-banding analysis has revealed that the metacentric is actually a dicentric with 2 closely situated C-positive heterochromatic zones. The nature of the centromeres and the NF value of the cell indicate that this meta-dicentric marker has orginated by breakage and fusion within each of the short arms of 2 acrocentric chromosomes.Acknowledgment. Grateful acknowledgment is made to Dr N. Chatterji, former Director, CNCRC, Calcutta, for supplying the cell-line to the first author. Sincere thanks are due to Prof. Sujit K. Dasgupta, Head, Dept. of Zoology, H. M. Govt. College and to Dr A. K. Roy of the same department for encouragement.     

Cytochemical demonstration of ‘marker’ enzymes in nerve cells cultured in vitro

Zusammenfassung Die Enzymaktivität des Nervengewebes in Kulturen wird untersucht um funktionelle und morphologische Befunde zu vergleichen. Es werden sogenannte «Marker» Enzyme beschrieben sowie deren histochemische und färberische Darstellung.

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This work was done at the Department of Anatomy (Director, Dr. M.Okamoto), Faculty of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto; and Laboratory for Cell Physiology (Director, Dr. M. R.Murray), Department of Surgery, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York. The work at Columbia University was supported by a Post-doctoral fellowship from National Multiple Sclerosis Society.     

Interaction between aldosterone and renomedullary prostaglandins. Competitive action between aspirin and spironolactone

Summary Aldosterone injected i.m. decreased the release of renomedullary PGEs and the index (urinary Na/K ratio) in conscious normotensive intact and adrenalectomized rats. Coadministration of spironolactone increased the release of PGEs as well as the index (urinary Na/K ratio). The effect of spironolactone was partly inhibited by aspirin injected in a ratio 51 (aspirin: spironolactone), an effect which could be reversed by the infusion of a synthetic prostaglandin (PGA₂) in a subhypotensive dose.Acknowledgements. The authors gratefully acknowledge Dr J. Pike, Upjohn Company, Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA, who kindly provided prostaglandins used for this study. This work was supported by a grant from INSERM (ATP 32 76 64) to Dr N. Papanicolaou.     

Reduced foetal calcium without skeletal malformations in rats following high maternal doses of a strontium salt

Zusammenfassung nachweis, dass hohe Strontiumkonzentrationen die Kalzifikation der, Knochen neugeborener Mäuse, und diejenige in Knochengewebskulturen hemmen. Im Gegensatz dazu und zu anderen knochenaffinen metallen wirkt Strontiumnitrat in Dosen von25, 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg, verabreicht während des 9. bis 19. Trächtigkeitstages, bei Ratten nicht teratogen.

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We are indebted to Mr.K. L. Murray of the Government Chemist's Laboratory for analyzing tissue samples by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. We are also grateful toDr. R. F. Crampton, Director of BIBRA, for his interest and advice in this work.     

Effect of preoperative stress on serum cholesterol level in humans

Summary Effect of preoperative stress on serum cholesterol level in 65 patients of different age groups in a surgical ward, has been studied. In all age groups, statistically significant rise of cholesterol in serum preoperatively was noticed as compared with serum cholesterol level at the time of discharge from hospital. The preoperative rise of cholesterol varied from 39 to 56.9% in this series. These findings support previous reports of the effect of mental tension on serum cholesterol level.Authors acknowledge with pleasure the useful discussions with Dr A. K. Ganguly, Prof. of Physiology, Government Medical College, Surat, Dr T. H. Rindani, Medical Director, Jaslok Hospital, Bombay. Statistical analysis by Shri P. Gopinath and technical assistance of Shri N. T. Pabani.     

Age variation in the increase of hypothalamic and brain stem contents of phenylethanolamine m-octopamine and p-octopamine in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SH kyoto)

Summary Phenylethanolamine, m=octopamine and p-octopamine contents were determined as a function of age in the hypothalamus and brain stem of spontaneously hypertensive rats and controls Wistar Kyoto. In hypothalamus, the content of the 3 amines was 2–4-fold greater for the SH rats. In the brain stem, the phenylethanolamine and p-octopamine contents were 2–3-fold greater in SH rats but 5–6-fold higher in the case of m-octopamine. The difference appears at 3 weeks and correlates the blood pressure with the increase of age. The significance of these findings is discussed.This work has been completed at the Tokyo University. The author is grateful to Professor Z. Tamura, Dr K. Imai and A. Ooshima as well as to the French Foreign Office and the Japanese Society for the Promotion of Sciences.     

Pantothenic acid distribution and protein synthesis in the particulate fractions of rat liver

Zusammenfassung Ratten wurden während 10 Wochen mit durch Pantothensäure angereicherte Nahrung oder mit Pantothensäure-Mangeldiät gefüttert. Im Anschluss daran wurden die durch Differentialzentrifugation gewonnenen Fraktionen von Leberhomogenat auf ihren Protein- und Panthothensäuregehalt untersucht. Die Resultate deuten darauf hin, dass Panthothensäure die Synthese von Leberproteinen, insbesondere in der Überstands-Fraktion, stimuliert.

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Acknowledgement. Authors thank Dr. (Mrs.)A. Venkataraman and Dr.N. K. Dutta, Director of this Institute, for their encouragement and interest, and they are also grateful to Dr.M. J. Modak for his kind help.     

50 ppm MnBK subclinical neuropathy in rats

Summary 40 rats were subjected daily for 6 months to an atmosphere containing 50 ppm MnBK. 32 of the rats presented with demyelination of the sciatic nerve and 2 of these with axonal hypertrophy.This work was supported in part by General Support Grant RR. 5414.We thank Dr Cedric Raines, Einstein Medical Center, New York, for helpful criticisms and suggestions and Dr Saul Francis for intoxicating the rats.     

A new rapid method for collection and preparation of cell suspensions for electrom microscopy

Summary We describe a new rapid and simple method for collection and preparation of cell suspensions for electron microscopy; the cells are prefixed with glutaraldehyde in their culture medium, and are then compacted on a filter disc. Post-fixation in osmium, staining and dehydration are performed by transferring the filter disc and the cell pellet from one solution to the next. The pellet is easily separated from the filter disc just before treatment in propylene oxide. This method preserves the fine structure as well as the classical technique. Advantages are that numerous cells have the same orientation in the sections and that many samples can be taken in a very short time.Acknowledgments. The authors are indebted to Prof. H. Leclerc, Director of I.N.S.E.R.M. laboratory U 146 in which part of this work has been performed, and to Dr J.F. Dubremetz, Dr G. Prensier and Dr P.A. Trinel for their advices.     

Variations de la différence de potentiel électrochimique des chlorures chezNitella en présence de benzène sulphonate

Summary The chloride electrochemical potential difference between the inside of cells ofNitella translucens and some external solutions, where Cl has been progressively replaced by benzenesulphonate, has been measured by means of Ag-AgCl electrodes. It appears that benzenesulphonate moves into the cell by an electrogenic pump and that the uptake of Cl byNitella is not in contradiction with a carrier hypothesis.

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This work was supported by grants from the F.N.R.S. and was carried out in the Biophysics Section of the Edinburgh University. We are indebted to Dr. E. J.Williams and Dr.Hogg for having sponsored this research and kindly provided the material.     

Chemical investigation of the seeds ofAlbizzia procera benth

Zusammenfassung Aus dem Samen vonAlbizzia procera Benth wurden ausser Machaerinsäure 4 triterpenoide Sapogenine isoliert (Verbindung A und B, Proceragenin A und B). Es wurde bewiesen, dass die Verbindung A das 28 21-Lacton der Machaerinsäure mit einer Konformationsänderung am Ring D oder E ist, während die Verbindung B als Äthylmachaerinat identifiziert wurde. Bei Proceragenin A und B handelt es sich um Dihydroylactone.

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A part of the work was carried out at the Department of Chemistry, Bose Institute, Calcutta-9, India, and was supported in part by the Ministry of Education, Government of India. — The authors desire to express their sincere thanks to Dr.A. K. Barua, Reader in Chemistry, Bose Institute, Calcutta and to the Rev. Dr.H. Santapau, Director, Botanical Survey of India, Calcutta for their keen interest and encouragement.     

A lipase in the milk of the gorilla

Zusammenfassung Gorillamilch hat nach Gallensäureaktivierung eine ähnlich spaltende Wirkung auf echte Fette wie Menschenmilch. Ohne Gallensäure kann hochmolekulares Fett auch im Zusammenwirken mit neutralisiertem menschlichem Magensaft oder Magenmucosaextrakten angegriffen werden, indem hierbei Di- und Monoglyzeride entstehen. Ebenso werden niedrig molekulare Ester direkt angegriffen wie zum Beispiel Tributyrin. Die Gorillamilch ist die einzige Tiermilch, bei der ein der Menschenmilch genau entsprechendes Verhalten der Lipase bisher gefunden wurde.

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Acknowledgment: The gorilla milk I obtained from Prof. K.Bernhard, Director of the Physiologisch-Chemisches Institut in Basel, who received it from Dr. E.Lang, Director of the Zoological Garden in Basel. I thank both gentlemen very much.     

Monoamine oxidase localization in the ependyma and infundibular recess in the catfishClarias batrachus and its probable significance

Summary The presence of monoamine oxidase (MAO) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and MAO positive tracts bridging the CSF and the subependyma strongly suggest the involvement of CSF in the neuroendocrine control of hypophysial function.Our thanks are due to Prof.K. N. Udupa, Director and Dr.L. M. Singh, Officer in charge of the laboratory, for providing facilities and to the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research of India for the financial assistance. We are grateful to Prof.C. J. Dominic whose cryostat was extensively used for cutting frozen sections.