Trans-4-hydroxy-3-methoxycinnamic acid (ferulic acid) inhibits the effect of androgens on the rat prostate

Summary Trans-4-hydroxy-3-methoxycinnamic acid (ferulic acid, FA) antagonized the effect of exogenous androgens on the ventral prostate (VP) in castrated rats as well as the effect of endogenous androgens in intact rats. FA, however, had no effect on the seminal vesicles (SV) and levator ani muscle (LAM), nor oestrogenic effect in female rats and mice. FA did not antagonize the receptor binding of testosterone nor inhibit the conversion of testosterone into 5-dihydrotestosterone (DHT).Supported in part by the project fund (grant 53-403) of Kawasaki Medical School.The authors would like to thank the Central Laboratory, Sankyo Pharmaceutical Co., Tokyo, for supplying 19-nortestosterone-17-ferulate.     

Lysergic acid diethylamide affects blood flow to specific areas of the conscious rat brain

Zusammenfassung Die i.v. Verabreichung von LSD an Ratten steigert den Blutkreislauf im Hirnstamm sowie im frontalen und parietalen Cortex selektiv. Es wurden durch 6-Nor-LSD, 2-Methyl-LSD und ^{8, 9}-LSD weder wahrnehmbare Verhaltensänderungen noch Änderungen des regionalen Blutkreislaufs verursacht.     

Monoamine oxidase activity of the hypothalamus and pituitary: alterations after pinealectomy, changes in photoperiod, or additions of melatonin in vitro.

Rat pituitary MAO activity was reduced by constant darkness and by additions of melatonin in vitro and was increased by constant light and by pinealectomy. Hypothalamic MAO activity followed the same pattern but was less dramatically affected. The data suggest that MAO may be a target enzyme for melatonin.     

The absence of an inhibitory effect of metyrapone (2-methyl-1,2-di (3-pyridyl) propan-1-one) on hepatic microsomal hydroxylation in scurvy.

Microsomes from livers of scorbutic guinea-pigs showed a reduced rate of acetanilide hydroxylation. The response of "scorbutic" liver microsomes to the inhibitor Metyrapone (2-methyl-1,2 di (3-pyridyl) propan-1-one) was different from that of liver microsomes from non-scorbutic guinea-pigs.     

Nuclear pores in the spermatozoon of the rat

Summary The paper describes a hexagonal array of nuclear pores in a non-redundant region of the nuclear envelope underlying the basal surface of the rat spermatozoon head. It is concluded that intranuclear material protruding through these pores is the cause of the characteristic rows of circular bumps found in surface replicas of this region.     

The structural relationship of phorbol and cortisol: A possible mechanism for the tumor promoting activity of phorbol

Summary The crucial functional groups of phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA) are superimposable with those of the glucocorticoid cortisol in a unique manner which suggests a mechanism for PMA activity, i.e. the alkylation of a cortisol receptor.     

Serum enzyme activities in the African elephant (Loxodonta africana)

Summary The serum activities of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, -hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase and creatine phosphokinase have been measured in the African elephant. In general, the values were broadly comparable with those of man except that alanine aminotransferase was much lower and creatine phosphokinase higher. No variation due to age, sex, season or location was observed.     

The loss of biological activity of 5-hydroxytryptamine creatinine sulphate.

5-Hydroxytryptamine creatinine sulphate loses its biological activity when maintained at room temperature. The loss of 5-HT activity (in stimulating sodium transport across frog skin) is greater than the loss of creatinine sulphate activity (inhibition of sodium transport).