Effect of harmaline on the cerebello-rubral system

Summary Harmaline induces synchronous rhythms in both the cerebellum and the red nucleus of the rabbit. The level of synchronization is lower in the red nucleus than in the cerebellar cortex, probably because the cerebello-rubral pathway and the red nucleus neurons only participate poorly in the harmaline-induced olivo-cerebellar rhythm.Acknowledgments. We thank Mrs M. Satzinger and Mrs A. Motejlek for their technical assistance. The drugs were generously supplied by Bayer Pharma GmbH, Vienna (Evipan^® and Epontol^®), Boehringer, C. H. Sohn, Ingelheim am Rhein, Federal Republic of Germany (Flaxedil^®) and Hoffmann-La Roche GmbH, Vienna (harmaline hydrochloride).     

Ultrastructural studies of Morris hepatoma cells reversely transformed by ginsenosides

Summary Ginsenosides, which were extracted from Panax ginseng, C. A. Meyer, induced well the development of subcellular organelles in cultured Morris hepatoma cells (MH₁C₁).Acknowledgments. We wish to thank Mr H. Konishi, Mrs H. Makino, Mrs Y. Nakayabu and Miss N. Honjo for their excellent technical assistance.     

The localization of [3H]-desipramine in central nerve terminals studied with electron microscope autoradiography and subcellular fractionation

Summary The cellular and subcellular distribution of [³H]-desipramine (DMI) in rat brain was studied by electron microscope (EM) autoradiography and by subcellular fractionation. A considerable proportion of label was found to be bound to the membranes of presynaptic nerve terminals, as well as to sites inside those terminals.Acknowledgment. The authors are most grateful to Mr and Mrs Gudelsky for their generous support.     

Coenzymes Q: Stimulants of the phaǵocytic activity in rats and immune response in mice

Zusammenfassung Mittels der Tusche-Clearance-Methode wird gezeigt, dass Coenzym Q₆ und Q₁₀ die phagozytische Aktivität bei Ratten steigert. Im Vergleich mit Schaferythrozyten wurde bei Mäusen durch Zufuhr von Coenzym Q₁₀ eine Verdoppelung der primären hämolytischen Antikörperbildung festgestellt.

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The authors are deeply indebted to Drs. J. H.Heller, J. H.Green and A. D.Adler for support and helpful discussions in the course of this work. We thank Mrs. G.Katopodis, Mrs. R.Wells, Miss J.Mannion, Mrs. S._Reynolds and Mrs. A._Lee for technical assistance.     

At least two toxins are involved inEscherichia coli mastitis

Summary Culture filtrate ofEscherichia coli produces changes in the bovine udder identical to those seen in experimental infections with the same organism.E. coli endotoxin produces an acute inflammatory response but none of the cell damage induced by culture filtrate. It appears therefore that at least 2 toxins are involved in the disease.Acknowledgments. We are grateful to Mrs K. Wells, Miss H. Meads and Miss A. Ashford for technical assistance.     

Quantitation of nitroglycerin in human blood after administration by sustained release

Summary Nitroglycerin was traced in the blood of 20 patients up to 4 h after oral administration of a sustained release preparation (Nitro-Mack Retard). The determination needs an extremely sensitive method using GLC-columns with 3% SE-30 (Packard) equipped with an electron capture detector.Aided by a generous grant from Mr and Mrs Herman Lane, New York, USA.Acknowledgment. Our thanks are due to Prof. S.Z. Rogel, Head of the Intensive Coronary Care Unit, Rothschild-Hadassah University Hospital, for advice and help. We wish to thank Dr K.W. Hofmann for the generous supply of Nitro Mack Retard (H. Mack Nachf., Illertissen, Germany).     

A quantitative study of the catecholamine-fluorescence in the ganglion paracervicale uteri of the rat

Summary In the ganglion paracervicale uteri of the rat, there are principle neurons which are able to take up offered catecholamines. Normally there is an inverse relationship between their size and their mean catecholamine-fluorescence. A comparison with the catecholamine-fluorescence of depleted and repleted adrenergic perikarya in the ganglion cervicale superius is made.Acknowledgments. I am very obliged to Dr G. Krinke and to Mrs K. Schnider for their continued interest and practical assistance. The study was supported in part by CIBA-GEIGY, Ltd. Basle.     

In vitro inactivation of corpora allata of the bugOncopeltus fasciatus by precocene II

Summary Corpora allata fromOncopeltus fasciatus incubated in vitro in medium containing 10^–5.35 M (1 g/ml) of precocene II lose their ability to secrete juvenile hormone when reimplanted into last instar larvae.Acknowledgments. We thank Mr K. Dorn, Mrs L. Dolezal, Mrs V. Nötzli-Graf, Mr K.H. Trautmann and Mr A. Schuler for technical help, Dr W. Vogel and Dr A. Dübendorfer for valuable discussions.     

Baroreceptor and sympathetic responses to acebutolol,a 646-1646-1646-1agent,in rabbits

Summary Baroreceptor activity was increased after i.v. infusion of acebutolol in rabbits with an intact circulation, and in rabbits with a total cardiopulmonary by-pass. In rabbits with an intact circulation, renal nerve activity was reduced.We wish to thank Mrs H. Bodard and Mrs F. Raimbault for their technical collaboration and Specia Laboratories for supplying acebutolol. This work was supported by a grant from INSERM (ATP No. 15.75.38).     

Ageing of the erythrocyte. XVI. Free amino acid content

Summary The concentrations of some free amino acids, especially glycine, histidine, isoleucine, methionine, phenylalanine, serine and tyrosine decrease considerably during the intravascular ageing of bovine erythrocytes. They seem to provide as sensitive an indication of red cell age as creatine does.Stimulating discussions with Prof. W. Leyko and the experimental help of Mrs A. Rogala, are greatly acknowledged.     

Effects of 1-alkyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydrocarbazole-1-ethanamines and related compounds,potential antidepressants,on biogenic amine uptake mechanisms

Summary A new series of compounds structurally related to the potential antidepressant tandamine, i.e., the 1-alkyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydrocarbazole-1-ethanamines, inhibit the noradrenaline uptake mechanism and are relatively ineffective in inhibiting the serotonin uptake mechanism in vivo. The potency of the most effective compound (9-ethyl-N,N, 1-trimethyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydrocarbazole is similar to that of desimipramine and is of potential use in the treatment of endogenously depressed patients.The authors acknowledge the technical assistance of Mrs J. Farnsworth, Mrs B. Gut and Mr J. Lacasse.     

An extremely cadmium-sensitive strain ofChlorella

Summary Growth of 14 strains from fiveChlorella species is rather insensitive towards cadmium. One strain (211-1a) ofC. saccharophila, however, was found to have a sensitivity towards this toxic heavy metal about 100 times higher than that of the other strains ofC. saccharophila.Acknowledgment. For excellent technical assistance I am indebted to Mrs U. Knoch and Mrs E. Weitemeyer.     

Measurement of vitamin A in milk and cheese by means of high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC)

Summary A high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) procedure has been developed for the determination of vitamin A in milk and cheese. Recovery studies and reproducibility data showed an average recovery of 93±6% and a SD of 4%. We also report results obtained from HPLC in comparison with the colorimetric procedure.Acknowledgments. We thank Prof. H. Isliker, Institute of Vitamins, Lausanne, for his hospitality and for making available the necessary working rooms. We also thank Mrs L. Paris for her technical assistance.     

Cerebellar decussation of fibres from the nucleus reticularis tegmenti pontis in the brain of the albino rat

Summary The existence of a cerebellar decussation of fibres from the medial portion of each nucleus reticularis tegmenti pontis (Rtp) of the albino rat is indicated. Definite cell loss in the medial aspect, of the most rostral third of Rtp is detectable after cerebellar hemisection involving parts or the entire depth of sublobule VIb. Cell loss in the medial aspect of the caudal half of Rtp is evident as a consequence of experimental lesions which damage both sublobules IIb and III.This work was supported by the Medical Research Council of New Zealand.Acknowledgments. A. special acknowledgment to. Mrs Heather Reid for her excellent preparation of the histological specimens. Grateful thanks to Mrs Maureen Owen for her careful typing assistance.     

Demonstration of the presence of M-creatine kinase in mammalian myogenic cell lines

Summary Unequivocal identification of M-CK in cell extracts from fused cells of myogenic cell lines is difficult due to almost identical behaviour of the M-CK and a contaminating enzyme activity in electrophoresis. If CK dimers present in cell extracts were subjected to dissociation and reassociation in the presence of exogenous B-CK subunits, the formation of easily identifiable MB-CK was demonstrated, indicating the presence of M-CK in the myogenic rat cell lines.Acknowledgments. We are grateful to Mrs M. Siegrist and Dr D. Turner for communication of preliminary results and helpful discussions, Mrs E.R. Perriard for skillful technical help. Supported by a grant of the Muscular Dystrophy Association Inc. to H.M.E.     

Adrenergic neuroplasticity is maintained in the nutritional rehabilitated adult rat

Summary This work examined the capacity of intact catecholaminergic axons to grow, in response to lesions, in the brain of adult rats following nutritional rehabilitation. The partially deafferented epithalamic habenula was used as a model to study neuronal plasticity. Noradrenergic neurons appear to maintain their plasticity in rats recovered from their postnatal undernutrition.Supported by a BRSG-UTMSH grant.Supported by a NIH grant.Acknowledgments. Thanks are due to Mrs Malka Gottesfeld for her invaluable assistance.     

Effect of scopolamine on maze learning performance in humans

Summary Scopolamine was administered orally to volunteers who were required to learn a digit memory task and a tactile maze task. Comparison of their performance with that under control drugs suggests that blockage of central cholinergic synapses may have a larger effect on spatial memory than on nonspatial memory. Subjects tended to make more errors under scopolamine and to insert extra turns in drawings of the maze.Supported by MRC of Canada.We greatly appreciate the assistance of Dr G.A. Klassen and Mrs J. Crozsman.     

Ecdysteroid receptors located in the central nervous system of an insect

Summary Using thaw-mount autoradiography for steroid hormones, we obtained direct evidence for a nuclear localization of ecdysteroid binding sites in target organs of blowfly (Calliphora vicina) larvae. The binding sites revealed properties of ecdysteroid receptors. Endocrine cells of the ring gland were found to be target tissues of ecydysteroids. This observation provides morphological evidence for a network of complex interendocrine regulation. In the central nervous system receptorcontaining neurons were identified which include many, if not all, neurosecretory cells of the brain. A map of ecdysteroid sensitive cells of the larval brain is presented.     

Stimulatory effect of methyl jasmonate on the ethylene production in tomato fruits

Summary Methyl jasmonate at a concentration of 0.5% in lanolin paste was applied to detached mature green and red ripe tomatoes cv. Tempo. One to 10 days after treatment, slices were cut at a depth of about 2 mm for ethylene determination. It was found that methyl jasmonate strongly stimulated ethylene production both in green and red fruits, production was about 1.6 to 7.9 times higher than in control tissue.Acknowledgments. We wish to thank Dr E. Demole, Firmenich SA, Geneva, Switzerland, for the gift of authentic (±)-methyl jasmonate and Mrs H. Sas for her excellent technical assistance.     

Impaired proximal tubular transport functions in anaesthetized splanchnicotomized dogs

Summary The maximal tubular transport of inorganic phosphate,d-glucose and para-aminohippuric acid, respectively, was depressed on the denervated side in unilaterally splanchnicotomized, anaesthetized dogs. It is concluded that renal sympathetic activity might in general regulate proximal tubular transport functions.The authors are indebted to Mrs V. Vajda, Mr A. Karai, Mrs K. Kéry, Mrs B. Asztalos, Mr S. Szécsi and Mr J. Vártok for their valuable technical assistance.