Cytological effect of some medicinal plants used in the control of fertility

Summary The effects induced upon the cell cycle of Allium cepa meristems by 2 medicinal plants used in the control of fertility were studied. Infusions of Aristolochia triangularis induces typical c-mitotic figures. On the other hand, Stevia rebaudiana have no specific toxicological effects upon the cell cycle.This work was supported by a research grant from the Instituto para el Estudio de la Reproducción Humana, Asunción (Paraguay).     

Phytochrome involvement in the control of leaf shape ofTaraxacum officinale L.

Resumen Sobre la base del efecto de irradiaciones de baja energía con luz rojo lejana, y la reversión del mismo por la luz roja, se postula la participación del fitocromo en el control de la forma de la hoja deTaraxacum officinale.

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This work was supported by a research grant from the CNICT.     

Effects of castration,estradiol and testosterone on tubulin levels of the medial basal hypothalamus and the adenohypophysis of the rat

Summary Tubulin levels of the medial basal hypothalamus (MBH) were greater in male than in female rats. Orchidectomy brought about a decrease of MBH tubulin concentration, whereas testosterone injection augmented it in the MBH and adenohypophysis. Estradiol administration augmented MBH tubulin and protein concentration.This study was supported in part by grants from the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Argentina (CONICET) (grant No. 6638), and the Programa Latinoamericano de Investigación en Reproducción Humana (PLAMIRH 2.3.1.75 R).     

Estrogen action in the male

Summary Estrogen administration induces a migration of eosinophil leukocytes to ductus deferens.Acknowledgments. This work was supported by grant No. 4002 from the Servicio de Desarrollo Científico y Creación Artística of the University of Chile. We thank Mr D. Sáez and Mr E. Astudillo for technical help.     

Cajal cells of the rabbit cerebral cortex

Resumen Las células deCajal en los animales estudiados, no poseen axon. Morfológicamente son similares a las grandes amacrinas de la plexiforme interna de la retina.

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Supported by a grant from The Seguridad Social, Instituto Nacional de Previsión.     

Na+/NH 4 + co-transport in isolated perfused gills of the Chinese crabEriocheir sinensis acclimated to fresh water

Summary In isolated perfused posterior gills ofE. sinensis acclimated to fresh water, NH ₄ ⁺ may be used as a counter-ion for Na⁺ active transport. This Na⁺/NH ₄ ⁺ coupled transport can, however, only account for a small part of the Na⁺ total active influx.Chargé de Recherches du FNRS-Acknowledgments. This work has been aided by a grant crédit aux chercheurs from the FNRS and by a grant No. 2.4511.76 from the FRFC.     

Seasonal variations in the fertilizing capacity ofBufo arenarum (Amphibia Anura) spermatozoa

Resumen La capacidad fecundante de los espermatozoides deBufo arenarum decae más rápidamente en verano que en invierno. Ello probablemente sea debido a la presencia, durante el invierno, de factores testiculares de protección.

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This work was supported by a grant from the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Técnicas de la República Argentina and by the Population Council grant No. 71.68 awarded to the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Técnicas to be administered by the Instituto de Biología, Facultad de Bioquímica, Química y Farmacia, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán.

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The author is most grateful to Dr.F. D. Barbieri for his kind discussion and helpful advice in the course of the present study.     

Dynamics of estrogen binding by uterine cells in vivo

Summary The dynamics of the in vivo binding and release of tritiated estradiol in different uterine cell types are described. The very early binding of estrogens by the cytosol-nuclear and the eosinophil receptor systems is in accordance with the hypothesis that some estrogenic effects are mediated by these receptor systems.Acknowledgments. This work was supported in part by grant 2015 from the Servicio Técnico de Desarrollo Científico y Creación Artística of the University of Chile to the Laboratory of Experimental Endocrinology, Department of Experimental Morphology, University of Chile Medical School, by a Population Council Fellowship to Dr A. Tchernitchin from 1970 to 1972, by a Rockefeller Foundation grant to the Laboratories of Reproductive Biology, University of North Carolina Medical School, and by USPHS grant HD00371 to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. We wish to thank Drs W. E. Stumpf (Laboratories of Reproductive Biology, University of North Carolina Medical School) and A. M. Bongiovanni (Children's Hospital of Philadelphia) for the facilities available.     

α-L-aspartyl-L-alanine (a neural dipeptide) enhances synaptic transmission

Summary -L-aspartyl-L-alanine, a dipeptide found in the brain, increases the amplitude of the miniature endplate potentials (MEPPs) in phrenic nerve-diaphragm preparations from rats. The peptide also stimulates the appearance of a population of giant MEPPs.This work was supported by NSF grant BNS 79-00352 and NIH grant CA-27031 to R. Lim.     

Differential effect of silybin on the Fe2+-ADP and t-butyl hydroperoxide-induced microsomal lipid peroxidation

Summary We have observed a differential effect of silybin dihemisuccinate on rat liver microsonal oxygen consumption and on lipid peroxidation induced by NADPH-Fe²⁺-ADP and t-butyl hydroperoxide. These results are ascribed to the antioxidant properties of the flavonoid. The differences observed in the effect of the catalysts may be a consequence of the different capacity of silybin to act as a scavenger of free radicals formed by NADPH-Fe²⁺-ADP or t-butyl hydroperoxide.This research was supported in part by grant B-2019-8412 from Dirección de Investigación y Bibliotecas, Universidad de Chile.     

Chromatin fluorescence by pyronin staining

Summary Human, chicken and mouse cells from different tissues show a bright red-orange fluorescence of the chromatin after staining with pyronin Y. The possibility that intercalation of the dye into double helical nucleic acids accounts for this fluorescence pattern is briefly discussed.This work was partially supported by a grant from the Comisión Asesora de Investigación Científica y Técnica, Spain.     

Cell proliferation in mouse kidney by isoproterenol and the relationship with the thyroid function

Resumen En el presente trabajo se estudia el efecto del hipotiroidismo sobre la sintesis de DNA y proliferación celular renal estimuladas por isoproterenol. Se observa que la hormona tiroidea actúa como intermediario de las catecolaminas en el proceso de multiplicación celular. Se sugiere que la hormona tiroidea modula el efecto de catecolaminas aumentando la sensibilidad en el receptor. El aumento de la concentración de cAMP podría estar involucrado en este proceso.

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This work was supported by a grant from the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas, Rep. Argentina.     

Robertsonian translocation,pericentric inversion and heterochromatin block in the evolution of the Tailless Fruit Bat

Summary The karyotype ofMegaerops ecaudatus from Peninsular Malaysia consists of 24 chromosomes as compared to 2n=26 for specimens from Thailand. The difference in diploid number is the result of Robertsonian translocation. The Peninsular Malaysian specimens also exhibit pericentric inversion in the smallest pair of autosomes, and the presence of a totally heterochromatic short arm in the second longest metacentric pair. There is 1 pair of Ag-NOR, located on the secondary constriction of the longest metacentric autosome.This work is supported by a University of Malaya research grant.     

Carbohydrate content of transitional epithelium of the urinary system

Resumen El epitelio de transición tiene alto contenido de carbohidratos. Este tejido posee una de las concentraciones más elevadas de ácido siálico en el organismo. Se describe un procedimiento simple para exfoliar epitelio de transición.

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This investigation was supported by a grant from the consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Técnicas (Argentina). Acknowledgment is due to MissE. Prado and Mr.L. Iwakawa for technical assistance.     

Experimental formation of podocytes in the parietal layer of the Bowman's capsule

A metaplastic transformation of the parietal layer of the Bowman's capsule into podocytes is described in glomerular cysts induced by postnatal injection of methylprednisolone acetate to rabbits. Both the anomalous location of podocytes and their utility for the study of the biology of the cells are discussed.     

Distinct functions of Crumbs regulating slit diaphragms and endocytosis in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Drosophila</Emphasis> nephrocytes

Mammalian podocytes, the key determinants of the kidney’s filtration barrier, differentiate from columnar epithelial cells and several key determinants of apical–basal polarity in the conventional epithelia have been shown to regulate podocyte morphogenesis and function. However, little is known about the role of Crumbs, a conserved polarity regulator in many epithelia, for slit-diaphragm formation and podocyte function. In this study, we used Drosophila nephrocytes as model system for mammalian podocytes and identified a conserved function of Crumbs proteins for cellular morphogenesis, nephrocyte diaphragm assembly/maintenance, and endocytosis. Nephrocyte-specific knock-down of Crumbs results in disturbed nephrocyte diaphragm assembly/maintenance and decreased endocytosis, which can be rescued by Drosophila Crumbs as well as human Crumbs2 and Crumbs3, which were both expressed in human podocytes. In contrast to the extracellular domain, which facilitates nephrocyte diaphragm assembly/maintenance, the intracellular FERM-interaction motif of Crumbs is essential for regulating endocytosis. Moreover, Moesin, which binds to the FERM-binding domain of Crumbs, is essential for efficient endocytosis. Thus, we describe here a new mechanism of nephrocyte development and function, which is likely to be conserved in mammalian podocytes.     

Feulgen positive nucleoli in Epon semithin sections: Fact or artifact?

Summary Epon semithin sections from glutaraldehyde fixed tissues show stained nucleoli after treatment with the Schiff's reagent. The possibility that aldehyde groups already present could account for this positive staining reaction is briefly discussed.This work was partially supported by a grant from the Comisión Asesora de Investigación Científica y Técnica, Spain. The author is greatly indebted to O.D. Colman and O. Partearroyo for valuable collaboration.     

Effect of propranolol on various parameters of estrogen stimulation in the rat uterus

Summary Pretreatment with propranolol does not modify the estrogen-induced uterine eosinophilia, the water imbibition effect, nor the increase in uterine RNA and protein content. This confirms the independence of these parameters from the estrogen-induced early increase in uterine cAMP, since, when observed, the latter is suppressed by propranolol pretreatment.Acknowledgments. This work was supported by a contract of the Ministère de la Politique Scientifique, within the framework of the Association Euratom—University of Brussels—University of Pisa, and by grant 2015 from the Oficina Técnica de Desarrollo Científico y Creación Artística of the University of Chile.     

Karyotypes of several frogs from Korea,Taiwan and the Philippines

Summary Rana amurensis coreana, R. plancyi chosenica, R. latouchii, R. narina andOoeidozyga laevis have 2n=26 chromosomes,R. kuhlii has 2n=22, andKaloula picta has 2n=28. Males ofR. narina have a conspicuous heteromorphic pair, No. 8, which might play a rôle in sex-determination.Supported in part by a grant from the Japan-American Scholarship Foundation.I wish to thank Dr H.K. Kim, Dr Y.-S. Liang, Dr V. Samson-Carino, Mr C.-S. Wang, Mr P.S. Lin and Mr B. Durusan for their aid in every aspect during the collecting trips.     

Effect of removal of the Harderian glands on pineal melatonin concentrations in the Syrian hamster

Summary Peak melatonin levels which are normally present in male Syrian hamsters at 8 h after the onset of darkness in animals maintained under a lightdark cycle of 1410, were significantly decreased following the removal of the Harderian glands.Supported by NSF grant PCM 77-05734.