Cyclosporine is angiostatic.

The systemic effect of the immunosuppressive drug cyclosporine (CS) on formation of new blood vessels was studied quantitatively in rats using the mesenteric-window assay. Angiogenesis was induced by i.p. injection of saline. CS at a s.c. dose of 4 mg/kg/day, which is in the range used clinically, suppressed angiogenesis (inhibiting branching or tortuosity more than spatial expansion), and appeared to be non-toxic. This is the first report on an apparently selective angiostatic effect of CS. The finding is likely to have implications for the clinical use of CS, not only in certain types of organ transplantation but possibly also in psoriasis and other angiogenesis-dependent diseases.     

Cyclosporine resistant effector cells in rabbit skin allografts

Summary Histoincompatible skin grafts in rabbits treated with cyclosporine can permanently engraft but show a transient mononuclear cellular infiltrate. This transient cyclosporine-resistant infiltrate consists of cells which are sensitive to steroids, radiation and cryopreservation. They have the same ACM-1 phenotype and the same characteristics as cyclosporine-sensitive cells.9 January 1987Supported by the Swiss National Research Foundation, Grant No. 3.908-0.83.     

Cyclosporine resistant effector cells in rabbit skin allografts

Histoincompatible skin grafts in rabbits treated with cyclosporine can permanently engraft but show a transient mononuclear cellular infiltrate. This transient cyclosporine-resistant infiltrate consists of cells which are sensitive to steroids, radiation and cryopreservation. They have the same ACM-1 phenotype and the same characteristics as cyclosporine-sensitive cells.     

Saliva is viscoelastic

Zusammenfassung Untersuchungen mit dem Weissenberg-Rheogoniometer zeigen, dass Speichel viskoelastisch ist und dass dessen dynamische Viskosität sich über einen Frequenzbereich von 2.5×10^–3 bis 10 Hz und von 400 bis 0.1 Poise bewegt.     

Growth-modulating serum tripeptide is glycyl-histidyl-lysine

Summary The structure of a growth-modulating tripeptide from human serum and plasma has been determined to be H-glycyl-histidyl-lysine-OH.Acknowledgment. This work was supported by grants from the U.S. Public Health Service (HD-03148 and P17AM 18520) and from the National Cancer Institute (NO-1-CB53868).     

What is technological science?

The technological sciences have at least six defining characteristics that distinguish them from the other sciences. They (1) have human-made rather than natural objects as their (ultimate) study objects, (2) include the practice of engineering design, (3) define their study objects in functional terms, (4) evaluate these study objects with category-specified value statements, (5) employ less far-reaching idealizations than the natural sciences, and (6) do not need an exact mathematical solution when a sufficiently close approximation is available. In combination, the six characteristics are sufficient to show that the technological sciences are neither branches nor applications of the natural sciences, but form a different group of sciences with specific characteristics of their own.     

What is a lefthander?

Summary Attributes of lefthanders and lefthandedness were examined and 3 etiologies of lefthandedness were proposed.     

CD100 is a leukocyte semaphorin

CD100 was originally described as an activation molecule on the surface of human T lymphocytes. Its triggering through distinct epitopes leads to different signals of costimulation with phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) or with CD3 and CD2. Interestingly, CD100 was shown to associate with different partner molecules in T cells. First, CD100 can associate with CD45, a key molecule with protein tyrosine phosphatase activity involved in T-cell transduction this association is physical and has functional consequences for both partners. Second, CD100 interacts in its cytoplasmic domain with a Ser/Thr kinase for which it represents a preferential substrate. Recently, CD100 was identified as a member of the semaphorin gene family. This family comprises approximately 20 structurally related proteins. The first semaphorins were identified in the developing nervous system. Function has been shown for only some of them and involves repulsion during growth cone guidance. Since CD100 was the first semaphorin identified in the immune system, this raises the possibility of the involvement of members of the semaphorin family in other physiological phenomena outside the nervous system. Received 1 March 1998; received after revision 8 June 1998; accepted 8 June 1998     

Evidence that pepsitensin is angiotensin I

Résumé L'angiotensine I et le Leu-Val-Tyr-Ser sont les principaux produits des hydrolyses peptiques du tétradécapeptide substrat de la rénine, réalisés à pH 3 et à pH 6. Ces résultats indiquent qu'il n'y a qu'une seule pepsitensine laquelle est identique à l'angiotensine I.     

Platelet aggregation is inhibited by phycolectins

Lectins from four marine algal species were examined for interaction with human platelets. The lectin designated hypnin A, from the red algaHypnea japonica, inhibited adenosine diphosphate (ADP)-or collagen-induced human platelet aggregation in a dose-dependent manner. Complete inhibition was observed at concentrations of 100 and 5 g/ml of the lectin with, ADP (2 M) and collagen (0.2 g/ml)-induced platelet aggregation, respectively. At the inhibitory concentration of 0.5 to 100 g/ml, the lectin did not induce aggregation of resting platelets. Lectins from the other three algal species also inhibited ADP-induced human platelet aggregation. These results indicate that the algal lectins are a new group of inhibitors and may be useful to study glycoconjugates on platelet membranes and to design novel platelet aggregation inhibitors.     

Prothymosin alpha is not a nuclear polypeptide

Using a radioimmunoassay for the NH2-terminus of prothymosin alpha, the crossreactive material was measured in subcellular fractions of calf thymus and liver. No significant amount of crossreactive material was found in the nucleus. This provides experimental evidence against a recent hypothesis, based on structural evidence, that prothymosin alpha is a nuclear polypeptide.     

Aldolase C is localized in neuroendocrine cells

Summary To elucidate the localization of the subunit C of aldolase (aldolase C) in peripheral neuroendocrine cells, we made an immunohistochemical study with monospecific antibodies against human aldolase C. Aldolase C was found to be localized in various types of neuroendocrine cells; in the pituitary gland, thyroid, pancreas, adrenal gland, bronchus, and gastrointestinal tract.     

Prothymosin alpha is not a nuclear polypeptide

Summary Using a radioimmunoassay for the NH₂-terminus of prothymosin alpha, the crossreactive material was measured in subcellular fractions of calf thymus and liver. No significant amount of crossreactive material was found in the nucleus. This provides experimental evidence against a recent hypothesis, based on structural evidence, that prothymosin alpha is a nuclear polypeptide.     

Behaviour ofDrosophila melanogaster is affected by drugs

Summary Reserpine, colchicine and Rb⁺ ions exerted specific effects on sexual behaviour and locomotor activity of the fruit fly. Neuroleptics and antidepressants were inactive.