Proton-induced dismutation of superoxide in aprotic media by bile pigments

Summary Cyclic voltammetry of molecular oxygen in aprotic media (dimethylformamide) and in the presence of bilirubin and other bile pigments shows that superoxide anion ( ) undergoes proton-induced dismutation. Lactam hydrogens of bile pigments are sufficiently acid to induce disproportionation to O₂ and H₂O₂. Because of its characteristic lipophilic behavior, a biological role for natural bilirubin similar to that of other non-enzymatic lipophilic scavengers of is suggested.     

Effects of injury on the concentration ofα 1 andα 2 in the plasmas of male and female rats

Summary The effects of injury on the concentration of ₁-macroglobulin and ₂-macroglobulin in the plasmas of male and female rats has been investigated. At 5 days after injury to the male rats the ₁-macroglobulin concentration increased to 131% of its preinjury value. The ₂-macroglobulin concentration increased more rapidly to a maximum of 86 times its initial value. In the female rats ₂-macroglobulin increased only slightly and ₁-macroglobulin not at all.     

Oxidation ofβ-hydroxybutyrate infused into the cortical subarachnoid space

Résumé LeOHB, la concentration du¹⁴CO₂ ainsi que l'activité specifique du¹⁴CO₂ ont été determinées dans l'artère fémorale, le sinus sagittal supérieur et le liquid subarachnoïdal cortical. L'infusion duOHB enregistré a amené la présence de¹⁴CO₂ dans le liquide subarachnoïdal cortical. Les résultats indiquent que leOHB du liquide cérébro spinal peut être oxydé par les tissus à proximité de l'espace subarachnoïdal cortical.     

Affinity chromatography of human serum proteins using matrix bound lectin fromViscum album L.

Summary The D-galactose specific lectin fromViscum album L. reacts with serum proteins that contain the corresponding D-galactopyranosyl residues. By affinity chromatography of human serum on lectin-sepharose IgM, ₂-macroglobulin, haptoglobin and -lipoprotein were quantitatively retained. Only parts of IgA, IgG and transferrin were retarded. The other serum proteins are unbounded as albumin, ₁A– and ₁C.     

Cl−/HCO 3 − exchanger is operative in isolated enterocytes from rat jejunum

Enterocytes isolated from rat jejunum were tested for the existence of a Cl^–/HCO ₃ ^– exchange, previously evidenced in basolateral membrane vesicles but not in brush border. Cells were found to retain functional integrity and transport capabilities long enough to allow Cl^– fluxes to be measured. Both efflux and uptake experiments indicate that a Cl^–/HCO ₃ ^– antiport, inhibited by 4,4-diisothiocyanostilbene-2-2-disulfonic acid (DIDS), is functional under resting conditions.     

Deuterium isotope effects in the ninhydrin reaction of primary amines

Summary The rate of development of Ruhemann's purple in the ninhydrin reaction of two deuterated primary amines, -d₂-p-tyramine and -d₂--phenylethylamine, is significantly reduced It appears to be a primary isotope effect and indicates that the cleavage of the carbon-hydrogen bond at the -position is involved in the rate-determining step of the color reaction.Acknowledgements. We thank Dr A.A. Boulton for his advice and encouragement and the Canadian Medical Research Councel and Saskatchewan Health for their continuing financial support.     

Study of the relationship between the magnitude of biological activity and the structure of aliphatic compounds

Zusammenfassung Es wurde festgestellt, dass die experimentellen Daten der sogenannten physikalischen Toxizität von aliphatischen Verbindungen die Gleichung log ( _i/ _Ät)= erfüllen, wo _iund _Ät die Grösse der biologischen Wirkung des i-ten Derivats und des Äthylderivats bezeichnen und und die Konstanten sind. Die Bedeutung der beiden Konstanten wurde erwähnt.     

Nouvelles données sur la cytogénétique et la spéciation des Leggada (Mammalia-Rodentia-Muridae)

Summary To the 237 pigmy-mice studies in his previous papers, the author brings new data concerning the cytogenetics of 25 Leggada. One first set of 12 mice from Nigeria belongs to the same polymorphic series containing themusculoides from the Ivory Coast and the Central African Republic.A small sample from Ippy (Central African Republic), although the individuals are morphologically all alike and referable tomusculoides, shows an amazing diversity: /259.2N=28, N.F.=36, sex chromosomes of the translocated type (TR). We meet here a new robertsonian combination in the polymorphic series, 34/33/32/31 ... 28/... 22/... 19/18./260.2N=32, N.F.=36, sex chromosomesTR. Both big biarmed autosomes are metacentric — submetacentric with a centromeric index of about 0.25 by the typicalmusculoides having the same diploid number./261.2N=19, N.F.=36, sex chromosomesX/Y ₁ Y ₂. The first occurrence of such sex chromosomes by the Leggada. By themusculoides from Rhodesia we were dealing with the typeX ₁ X ₂ /Y. /262.2N=18, N.F.=36, sex chromosomesX/X. Very likely the female of /261.In the complexminutoides-musculoides, we meet many different caryotypes and it is obvious that the chromosomal mutations play here the part of a primary factor of isolation, previous to the gene mutations which later will allow the taxonomic determination of the species actually in statu nascendi.     

Magnetitfördernde Wirkung von Al3+-Ionen bei der Luftoxidation des Fe(OH)2

Summary It has been proved that Fe(OH)₂, precipitated in alkaline solution and oxidated by air-oxygen, transforms to -FeOOH. In presence of A1³⁺, besides -FeOOH magnetite also appears.     

Hypertension expérimentale et protéines sériques

Summary The authors investigated the distribution of serum proteins, especially the ₂ fraction, in rats with artificially induced hypertension (A), in similar rats made normotone by choline-free diet (B), and in a control group (C). A rise in the ₂ fraction of groupA andB was found, without a significant change of the other serum proteins.     

Central venous pressure: Normal value and length of body

Summary The CVP ranges between 2 and 12 cm H₂O, and has an error of 2 l of blood. In 172 normal persons, we found a correlation between the CVP and the length of the body.     

Serum glycoprotein levels in athletes in training

Résumé Les sportifs examinés au repos, après plusieurs jours consécutifs d'entraînement ou de compétitions ont un niveau nettement plus élevé que le groupe de contrôle pour l'₁-antitrypsine, l'₂-HS-glycoprotéine, l'₂-macroglobuline, la transferrine, la céruloplasmine et le cuivre sériques. La signification biologique possible de ces faits est discutée.

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With support from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft and Kuratorium für Sportmedizin.

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Dozenten-Stipendiat der Alexander-von-Humboldt-Stiftung.     

The isolation and structure of trichosiderin B

Riassunto Un nuovo pigmento feomelanico, denominato tricosiderina B, è stato isolato dalle piume di pollo di razza New Hampshire. Sulla base delle proprietà chimiche e spettrali a tale pigmento, C₂₃H₂₀N₄O₉S₂, è stata assegnata la struttura ^2,2-bibenzotiazinica IV.

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This work was supported by a grant from Laboratorio per la Chimica e Fisica di Molecole di Interesse Biologico del C.N.R., Napoli.     

DDT: The degradation of ring-labeled14C-DDT to14CO2 in the rat

Summary Ring fission ofp, p-DDT was studied in the rat following a single oral dose of 0.74 mg/kg (1.04 Ci) of uniformly ring-labeled¹⁴C-DDT. Expired air was passed through a solution of ethanolamine-ethylene glycol monomethyl ether (12) to trap¹⁴CO₂. A total of 1.6% of the radioactivity administered was recovered in the expired air collected continually for 10 days, indicating that while degradation of the phenyl moiety is not a major route pfp, p-DDT metabolism in the rat, it is equal to the urinary excretion. Nevertheless, these results represent the most radical change accomplished in vivo of a residual insecticide yet reported in mammals.Acknowledgment. We acknowledge the secretarial work of Ms.Elaine Smolko. This study was supported by NIH fellowship No. 1 F22 ES01723-01 and No. HL16264.     

Serotoninantagonismus an der Placenta

Summary The placentae of 17 to 19 days pregnant mice respond to subcutaneous serotonin (15 mg/kg) with vascular changes which lead to the death of the fetuses in 3–4 h. Pretreatment of the females withd-lysergic acid derivatives preserves the life of the young. Thus, LSD showed an ED₅₀ of only 30 g/kg, while UML (Deseril®) gave an ED₅₀ of 3.7 g/kg. PML takes an intermediate position. At a 50% efficiency level, UML (Deseril®) antagonises the effect of a 4000 times higher dose of serotonin.     

The antifertility action of α-chlorohydrin: metabolism by rat and boar sperm

Summary The male antifertility agent -chlorohydrin (I) is metabolized by rat and boar sperm to -chloroactaldehyde (III), -chlorolactate (IV) and Cl^– and not to the proposed active metabolite, -chlorohydrin-1-phosphate (III). It is proposed that -chlorolactaldehyde is produced intracellularly by a specific enzyme and that this is the metabolite responsible for the species-specific antifertility activity of -chlorohydrin.This work was supported by The National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia.     

Effect of 2-Br-α-ergokryptine (CB 154) on lactation in the bitch

Zusammenfassung Es wurde gezeigt, dass bei Hündinnen die Lactation durch den Prolactin-Sekretionshemmer 2-Br--Ergokryptin-methanesulfonat (CB 154, Sandoz) gehemmt wird. Gemessen über 24 Stunden beträgt die ED₅₀ i.m. 6 g/kg.     

Thermodynamics of bromate and iodate of potassium in dioxane-water mixtures from conductance measurements

Summary The free energy of transfer ( G _t ⁰ ) of KBrO₃ and KIO₃ from water to 10, 20 and 30% dioxane-water mixtures have been studied from conductometric measurements. The G _t ⁰ values are in the order of BrO ₃ ^– >IO ₃ ^– .     

Un cas nouveau de chromosomes sexuels multiples dans le genreGerbillus (Rodential - Muridae - Gerbillinae)

Summary 4 species of the genusGerbillus have been studied by the author; two belong to the usual schemeX-Y, X-X, two are provided with multiple sex-chromosomes.Gerbillus gerbillus shows at the first metaphase a sexual trivalentX-Y ₁ Y ₂ and 20 autosomal bivalents. The diploïd number is 43. As expected, there is two types of metaphases II, with 21 and 22 elements respectively. The diploid number of the is 42 (twoX).     

Effects on prostaglandins F2α, I2, and indomethacin on isolated coronary arteries from healthy and alloxandiabetic dogs

Summary Contractile responses of isolated coronary arteries from healthy and alloxan-diabetic dogs to prostaglandin F₂ were enhanced by indomethacin and inhibited by prostaglandin I₂. The potentiation by indomethacin was more prominent in diabetic vessels than in normal arteries.