Degradation of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin in organic solvents by gamma ray irradiation

Summary The effect of gamma ray irradiation on 2,3,7,8 tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) dissolved in organic solvents is described; TCDD is degradated with the loss of 1 or more chlorine atoms.Gammatom, Via 24 Maggio, 14, I-22070 Guanzate, Como, Italy.     

Pathological changes in inbred strains of mice following early thymectomy and irradiation

Summary Mice subjected to thymectomy and irradiation were found to develop a range of pathological change in various organs. These changes were accompanied by antibodies to a variety of self-components. The pattern of pathological and autoimmune change was found to vary with the strain. This strain-related expression did not appear to be associated with the major histocompatibility complex (H-2).This study was partly supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia.Author for correspondence and reprint requests.     

Accumulation of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin from soil and nutrient solution by bean and maize plants

Summary Maize and bean plants grown on soil polluted with³H-2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (³H-TCDD) accumulated the toxin in the aerial parts progressively with the time and with the soil contamination. Plants in hydroponic solution polluted with³H-TCDD accumulated the toxin in the aerial parts in the light and not in the dark; the concentration of TCDD accumulated was not proportional to the surface area of plant organs; the distribution of³H-TCDD in the leaves suggested that TCDD was translocated through the vessels to the aerial parts by the transpiration stream.     

Pathological changes in the heterologous phase of antibasement membrane antibody mediated disease in the rat

Summary The immunological and structural changes during the heterologous phase of experimental antibasement membrane antibody mediated disease was sequentially studied in the rat following single i.v. injections of rabbit antibodies to basement membrane antigens prepared from kidney, lung and salivary gland tissues. Although each of the anti-bodies bound strongly to GBM, structural changes were initially subtle accompanied by proteinuria and hematuria. More severe structural changes related to dose and duration of the disease did not appear for several weeks.     

Esterase alterations in the liver of dystrophic mice

Zusammenfassung Esterase-Isozym-Verluste wurden in Leberzymogrammen von Mäusen mit hereditärer Muskeldystrophie gefunden.

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On leave of absence from the Department of Physiology, Wakayama Medical College, Wakayama, Japan.     

Penicillamine induced changes in growing rats. II. liver parenchymal cell

Zusammenfassung d-Penicillamin als Kupferchelator bewirkt im Langzeitversuch eine isolierte Veränderung der stereologischen Parameter der Mitochondrien und der «microbodies». Zusammenhänge mit der Aktivitätshemmung kupferhaltiger Oxydasen in den beiden Zellorganellen werden vermutet.     

Pre- and postnatal distribution of lipids in the liver of genetic diabetic mice.

Triglycerides, phospholipids, cholesterol and cholesterol esters were determined by thin layer chromatography in the fetal and neonate livers of normal (Swiss albino) and genetic diabetic (KK) mice. In general, the lipids were elevated in the fetal liver of the KK mice. Despite this elevation in liver lipids, no increase in the weight of the newborn was observed.     

Effect of retinoic acid on liver transglutaminase activity and carbon tetrachloride-induced liver damage in mice.

Transglutaminase (TGase) activity in the cytosol fraction of the mouse liver increased following intraperitoneal injection of retinoic acid. Retinoic acid inhibited the carbon tetrachloride-induced increase in serum alanine transaminase activity. These findings suggest that TGase is involved in the effect of retinoic acid on carbon tetrachloride-induced liver damage.     

Unchanged r-RNA-gene dose in mice liver cells of different developmental stages.

The content of ribosomal DNA in mice liver at the beginning as well as near the end of the hematopoietic period was measured by RNA/DAN-hybridization in solution. At both stages the amount of ribosomal DNA was the same and comparable to that of postnatal liver.     

Aggression in mice associated with changes in the monoamine-metabolism of the brain

Zusammenfassung MitHerpes simplex Virus i.c. beimpfte Mäuse entwickelten nach vorausgegangener Behandlung mitp-Chlorphenylalanin ein ausgesprochen aggressives Verhalten. Bei Mäusen, deren Serotoninsynthese durch Behandlung mitp-Chlorphenylalanin oder-Propylacetamid ausser Funktion gesetzt war, konnte ausgeprägtes Aggressionsverhalten durch i.p. Injektion vonl-DOPA induziert werden.     

Properties of glutamine aminohydrolases in subcellular fractions of liver of tumour bearing mice.

Glutamine aminohydrolase is found to be present in microsomal and soluble supernatant in liver of EAC-bearing mice. Enzymes obtained from these two sources were characterized and found to behave differently from the mitochondrial glutaminase of both normal and tumour-bearing mice.     

Osseal changes in mice following neonatal thymectomy

Zusammenfassung In neonatal thymektomierten Mäusen wurden nach 6–7 Wochen röntgenologisch sowie histologisch das «wasting syndrome» und schwere Knochenatrophien beobachtet. Der Mechanismus der beobachteten enchondralen Ossifikationsstörung wurde diskutiert.     

Antigen-induced mitosis in liver macrophages of immunized mice

Résumé Des souris ont été immunisées avec l'albumine du sérum humain dans l'adjuvant complet de Freund. Un jour après une injection de rappel de l'antigène la taille des mitoses, parmi les macrophages du foie dépasse celle des mitoses des souris témoins.

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This work was supported by grants from the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia and from the Postgraduate Medical Foundation of the University of Sydney. We thank MissMaria van Deventer for skilled assistance.