Effects of several preoperative medications on fat cell lipolysis, and activity of adipose tissue cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase.

Effects were examined of atropine, diazepam, pethidene, promethazine, scopolamine, omnopon and papaverine on basal and noradrenaline-stimulated lipolysis in rat isolated fat cells and on rat adipose tissue cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase activity. Papaverine at high concentration (1 mM) inhibited both basal and hormone-stimulated lipolysis, whereas diazepam enhanced basal lipolysis. At a 'clinical dose', omnopon increased both basal and noradrenaline-stimulated lipolysis. Adipose tissue cAMP phosphodiesterase activity was strongly inhibited by 1 mM diazepam, papaverine, promethazine and omnopon (280 microgram ml-1). Lack of enhancement of lipolysis by the established cAMP phosphodiesterase antagonist papaverine, is compatible with simultaneous inhibition also of adipose adenyl cyclase. Diazepam-stimulated lipolysis is compatible with its phosphodiesterase inhibitory activity. It is proposed that papaverine-containing omnopon may offer some survival advantages during surgical stress by facilitating a caloric supply.     

Impaired amylase release from the parotid gland of rats treated with reserpine.

Using an automated system for the analysis of amylase, the release of this enzyme was compared in superfused parotid gland segments from control and reserpine treated rats. Stimulant-evoked amylase release was delayed and of smaller magnitude in the glands of the treated animals and a reduction of the transmembrane K+ gradient caused a smaller and short lasting reduction in Ach-evoked release of amylase in the glands from these animals.     

Comparative study of the effect of thymosin and supernatant from epithelial thymic cells on antibody production (author's transl)]

A thymic extract (TE) was prepared from supernatant of mice thymic epithelial cultures according to the purification of thymosin. TE and thymosin stimulated, in vitro, the immune response of mouse against deep red blood cells.     

A prostaglandin-like activity in small intestine and postirradiation gastrointestinal syndrome

Summary A correlation between the postirradiation increase of the small intestine motility and the prostaglandin-like activity in this organ during gastrointestinal syndrome was observed. Indomethacin decreased the elevated motility of intestine and reduced the prostaglandin-like activity in this syndrome.Acknowledgments. The work was supported by the Polish Academy of Sciences.     

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.     

The effect of acidic polysaccharides and prostaglandin-like substances isolated from Propionibacterium acnes on granulocyte chemotaxis.

Three acidic polysaccharide (AP) fractions and the prostaglandin-like substances (PLS) isolated from P. acnes were investigated regarding their chemotactic activities on polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Both AP's and PLS induced a significant chemotatic response, which suggests their involvement in inflammatory acne vulgaris.     

Effect of insulin on immunological phagocytosis by macrophages.

It was shown that, in physiological concentrations, insulin enhances, in vitro, the immunological phagocytosis of sensitized sheep erythrocytes by cultured mouse peritoneal macrophages. Insulin seems to stimulate macrophage phagocytosis as a cholinomimetic agonist by increasing the intracellular levels of cyclic GMP.     

Fragments of linear unintegrated Rous sarcoma virus DNA, resulting from digestion with SmaI restriction endonuclease]

Linear unintegrated DNA of Schmidt-Ruppin Rous sarcoma virus, subgroup D (SR-RSV-D), was digested with SmaI restriction endonuclease, analyzed by agarose gel electrophoresis, "blotted" by Southern's method and hybridized with a viral 32P cDNA. SmaI cleaves this DNA at five sites, two of which are localized at the ends of the provirus. Src and env genes seem not to be restrictied by SmaI cleavage.     

PPD-induced blastogenesis is auto-regulated by suppressor cells generated in vitro.

Suppressor cell induction can be demonstrated during antigen specific blastogenesis by using the same methods which have shown induction of suppressor cells by Con A. Since suppressor cells are rapidly generated during antigen specific blastogenesis, they must regulate the final level of blastogenesis induced during the seven day in vitro incubation.     

Alterations of beta-adrenoceptor-density and cAMP-synthesis in rat-erythrocytes after stress erythropoiesis.

During the maturation of red blood cells from rats after stress erythropoiesis, adenyl cyclase activity and beta-adrenoceptor density (pmoles/mg protein) decrease at distinctly different rates suggesting a different turnover of these membrane units.