Cyclophosphamide-impaired regulation of hepatic heme metabolism

Summary Im male rats hepatic cytochromes b₅ and P-450 were reduced at different times after treatment with cyclophosphamide (CP) (200 mg/kg i.p. for 3 days). In contrast, microsomal heme did not change until 48 h after the last dose of CP, leading to accumulation of heme in a non-cytochromal form. Parallel to the above changes the heme metabolism showed derangement: -aminolaevulinate synthase, the rate-limiting enzyme in heme synthesis, was depressed and heme oxygenase, the enzyme which catalyzes the oxidative degradation of heme, was increased.     

Pineal-related changes in cyclic AMP levels of rat medial basal hypothalamus

Summary Pinealectomy (Px) in adult male rats resulted in increased cyclic AMP accumulation by medial basal hypothalamic (MBH) explants 3 and 7 days after surgery. 24 h after superior cervical ganglionectomy (Gx) an augmented MBH cyclic AMP accumulation was observed. The effects of Px and Gx were additive, as revealed in animals subjected to Gx 3 days after Px.This study was supported by grants from the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) (N^o 6638) and from the Fundación Alberto J. Roemmers, Argentina.     

Transplantation of human cortex with Alzheimer's disease into rat occipital cortex; a model for the study of Alzheimer disease

Summary Senile dementia of the Alzheimer type (SDAT) is a major problem in the human senescent population. As this pathology cannot be reproduced in animals, research into its development is greatly impeded. The technique of implantation of the nervous tissue has been utilized in order to establish an animal model and to test the possible existence of a transmissible agent. When human temporal cortex with Alzheimer's disease is implanted in the occipital cortex of 7-week-old rats, human cerebral tissue containing abundant tangles induces in the receiver cortex a reactive fibrous gliosis. In the processes of the astrocytes, twisted filaments are evident among bundles of normal filaments. These alterations could be induced by the metabolising of abnormal filament subunits or by some infectious agent introduced by the implant.This study is supported by grant No. 2.4517.82 of Fonds de la Recherche Fondamentale Collective of Belgium.     

Nicotianamine,the ‘normalizing factor’ for the auxotroph tomato mutantChloronerva; a representative of a new class of plant effectors

Summary The article surveys our knowledge of the normalizing factor, gained from its discovery a quarter of a century ago up to the present time, under the following headings: Discovery; Physiological properties; Isolation and characterization; Structure determination (Identity of the normalizing factor with nicotianamine); Chemical properties; Analysis; Synthesis; Occurrence and physiological role; Related compounds; Prospects.     

Isolation and partial characterization of cuticular collagen from the parasitic nematodeGaigeria pachyscelis

Summary The cuticle from adultGaigeria pachyscelis was isolated by solubilizing the internal tissues with sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) at 37°C. Cuticular protein was extracted with guanidine-HCl and -mercaptoethanol and purified by ammonium sulphate fractionation and DEAE-cellulose chromatography. SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of purified protein revealed 2 polypeptides with apparent mol. wts of 58,000 and 74,000. As judged from their hydroxyproline content both of them are collagenous in nature. Results of gel filtration indicate that cuticular collagen exists in two forms, a non-associated form at low concentration and an associated form at high concentration.Acknowledgments. We thank Drs L.N. Singh and H.C. Tewari for providing the necessary facilities. Laboratory assistance of Mr Ram Kishore is highly appreciated.     

Secreted oleanolic acid on the cuticleOlea europaea (Oleaceae); a chemical barrier to fungal attack

Summary The leaf of the bitter oliveOlea europaea (Oleaceae) is heavily coated by almost pure oleanolic acid, which forms part of a multichemical defense against fungal attack.We thank Mr K. A. Hoelmer for taking the electron micrographs and also Professor T. Kamikawa for NMR measurements.     

Oxygen consumption in rat skeletal muscle at various rates of oxygen delivery

Summary Resting oxygen consumption of the vascularly isolated gracilis anticus muscle of the rat perfused by natural circulation via the femoral artery with diluted or undiluted blood depends on oxygen delivery (the product of flow rate and arterial oxygen concentration-DO₂) only when DO₂ falls below 16 l/min/g.     

High-affinity binding ofβ-alanine to cerebral synaptosomes might involve glycine-receptors

Summary High-affinity, Na⁺-independent binding of -alanine to a synaptosomal fraction of rat brain was potently inhibited by glycine and by some other -amino acids, but not by taurine or GABA. This binding mechanism, which was also sensitive to both bicuculline and strychnine, might involve synaptic receptors for both -alanine and glycine.This study was supported in part by Centro Ramón y Cajal and Fundacion Juan March.