Synthese des Neopodophyllotoxins und der Podophyllinsäure

Summary Methanolysis of podophyllotoxin (I) with ZnCl₂ as catalyst yields podophyllinic acid methyl ester (IV) and neopodophyllotoxin (V), a new isomer of podophyllotoxin. Neopodophyllotoxin which contains the lactone group in the 1,3-position is stereospecifically hydrolyzed by alkali to the hitherto unknown podophyllinic acid (VI).

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12. Mitteilung über mitosehemmende Naturstoffe.     

Uptake ofl-glutamate andl-aspartate in neurones and glial cells of cultured human and rat spinal cord

Summary Autoradiographic investigations on the uptake ofl-glutamate andl-aspartate have shown that the amino acids were taken up by neurones as well as by glial cells of cultured human and rat spinal cord. The activity of glutamate and aspartate varied considerably between individual neurones, whereas glial cells showed a more even distribution of the labelled amino acids. Our results suggest that both neurones and glial cells are involved in the uptake of amino acid transmitters.     

gamma-beta-Thalassaemia studies showing that deletion of the gamma- and delta-genes influences beta-globin gene expression in man

In gamma-beta-thalassaemia, human gamma- and beta-globin gene expression is suppressed; this results in a severe anaemia in newborns which subsequently develops into a beta-thalassaemia syndrome in adult life. This hereditary disease is now shown to be the result of a deletion of at least 40,000 base pairs of the gammadeltabeta-globin gene locus. The gamma- and delta-globin genes are deleted in the affected chromosome but, surprisingly, the beta-globin gene is still present, together with a large segment of the DNA sequences flanking the gene on its 5'-side and the entire region on the 3'-side of the gene. Hence, a deletion of DNA far from the beta-globin gene results in the suppression of its activity.     

Lymphopenia and lymphocyte transformation in alcoholics

Summary The basis of peripheral blood lymphopenia observed in patients with chronic alcoholism and liver disease was investigated by examining the effect of sera of these patients on in vitro transformation of normal human peripheral blood lymphocytes. A positive correlation was demonstrated between the serum inhibition of phytohaemagglutinin- and pokeweed mitogen-induced transformation and the degree of lymphopenia. Thus serum factors may contribute to the observed lymphopenia by inhibiting lymphocyte production in vivo.This study was supported by grants from the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia, Royal Australasian College of Physicians and Alfred Hospital Henry Laurie Scholarship Fund.