Hypertrophy of pulmonary arteries and arterioles with cor pulmonale in rats induced by seneciphylline,a pyrrolizidine alkaloid

Summary Seneciphylline, one of the hepatotoxic pyrolizidine alkaloids, induced, as do also monoclotaline, etc., a marked arterial and arteriolar hypertrophy of the lung of young Wistar rats a month after a single s. c. injection of 50–80 mg/kg. Cor pulmonale with leftward shift of the ventricular septum was also noted.     

Simple estimation of blood content in bone homogenates for the determination of the real amount of drugs in bone tissue

Summary The content of blood in bone homogenates can be determined quantitatively by estimation of the haemin in the homogenate and in a sample of peripheral blood taken at the same time. Haem is completely split from the haemoglobin molecule by reaction with hydrochloric acid-acetone and converted to haemin, which can be analyzed spectrophotometrically. The blood content can be calculated from the amount of haemin in the homogenate in relation to that of the peripheral blood. This method is useful to determine the real amount of drugs in bone tissue.Acknowledgment. Thanks are due to Dr N. Walker and Dr H. Stuflesser, Balgrist, Orthopaedic University Hospital, Zürich, for kindly supplying the heads of femora removed at surgery.     

The effect of mouse erythrocyte rosette forming lymphocytes on lymphokine production in T-cell cultures

Summary An enhancement effect of mouse erythrocyte rosette forming (MERF) cells on the production of migration inhibitory factor, chemotactic factor for neutrophils and skin reactive factor in T-lymphocyte cultures stimulated with the purified protein derivative of tuberculin was observed. We consider it likely that the MERF cells, possessing the appropriate cell surface constituents to construct an immunogenic moiety, present antigen on their surfaces to elicit lymphokine production.This work was supported by the Scientific Research Council, Ministry of Health, Hungary, Code No. 421030401 1/s     

Effects of various media on tissular and cellular structures of the superior cervical ganglion of the rat.

The superior cervical ganglia of the rat have been incubated in vitro for 1 h in basal medium Eagle (BME) with Hanks' salts, BME with Earle's salts, Kreb's solution and NCTC 109 medium. Comparison of the cell areas, established by a semi-automatic quantitative method, shows that the three former induce a 30--35% neuronal retraction, whereas NCTC 109 has no effect. Thus this latter medium seems the best one for studies using incubation of these cells.     

Adrenergic reinnervation of the denervated rat urinary bladder

Summary In rats undergoing unilateral extirpation of the pelvic ganglion, the adrenergic innervation disappeared on the ipsilateral side of the urinary bladder. It had reappeared after 6–9 weeks.This work was supported by grants from the Faculty of Medicine in Lund to M.E.     

Inhibitory effect of exogenous histones on cellular growth and DNA synthesis in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii.]

The addition of exogenous histones to synchronous culture of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, at the beginning of the cell cycle, leads to the death of the cells. The same amount of histones added in the middle of the cycle, only blocks the cell division. The mechanism of this inhibition effect of the histones could involve a block at the level of the chloroplast DNA replication.     

Effect of the type of diet on the distribution of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase in rat small intestine

Summary The jejunoileal gradient for the HMG-CoA reductase activity in the microsomal fraction of the epithelial cells of the small intestine of rats given commercial pellets was reserved within a few days after changing the ration to a semipurified diet. The response of the reductase was essentially the same in villus and crypt cells.