Inhibition by lanthanum ions of ADP-induced platelet aggregation

Zusammenfassung La³⁺-Ionen zeigten eine konzentrationsabhängige Hemmung der ADP-induzierten Aggregation menschlicher Blutplättchen. Diese Hemmung ist nicht von der Zahl der Zellen oder der Konzentration des ADP abhängig und lässt sich nicht durch Zusatz von Ca²⁺-Ionen neutralisieren.     

Dystrophic heart failure blocked by membrane sealant poloxamer

Dystrophin deficiency causes Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) in humans, an inherited and progressive disease of striated muscle deterioration that frequently involves pronounced cardiomyopathy. Heart failure is the second leading cause of fatalities in DMD. Progress towards defining the molecular basis of disease in DMD has mostly come from studies on skeletal muscle, with comparatively little attention directed to cardiac muscle. The pathophysiological mechanisms involved in cardiac myocytes may differ significantly from skeletal myofibres; this is underscored by the presence of significant cardiac disease in patients with truncated or reduced levels of dystrophin but without skeletal muscle disease. Here we show that intact, isolated dystrophin-deficient cardiac myocytes have reduced compliance and increased susceptibility to stretch-mediated calcium overload, leading to cell contracture and death, and that application of the membrane sealant poloxamer 188 corrects these defects in vitro. In vivo administration of poloxamer 188 to dystrophic mice instantly improved ventricular geometry and blocked the development of acute cardiac failure during a dobutamine-mediated stress protocol. Once issues relating to optimal dosing and long-term effects of poloxamer 188 in humans have been resolved, chemical-based membrane sealants could represent a new therapeutic approach for preventing or reversing the progression of cardiomyopathy and heart failure in muscular dystrophy.     

Ammonia and amino acid transport across symbiotic membranes in nitrogen-fixing legume nodules

Biological nitrogen fixation involves the reduction of atmospheric N₂ to ammonia by the bacterial enzyme nitrogenase. In legume-rhizobium symbioses, the nitrogenase-producing bacteria (bacteroids) are contained in the infected cells of root nodules within which they are enclosed by a plant membrane to form a structure known as the symbiosome. The plant provides reduced carbon to the bacteroids in exchange for fixed nitrogen, which is exported to the rest of the plant. This exchange is controlled by plant-synthesised transport proteins on the symbiosome membranes. This review summarises our current understanding of these transport processes, focusing on ammonia and amino acid transport. Received 5 June 2000; revised 13 July 2000; accepted 14 July 2000     

Ultrastructural changes in the stratum corneum after profuse swabbing of the skin with dimethyl sulfoxide

Résumé Une abondante aspersion de la peau du cobaye avec du dimetil sulfoxide produit de notables changements dans les cellules basales de la couche cornée. Elles s'agrandissent, l'aspect fibrillaire de la kératine disparaît et la couche cornée (barrière cutanée) se décolle de la couche granuleuse.

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Supported by Research Career Development Award No. 1-K3-AI-31-210-01 (Dr.Montes) and by National Aeronautics and Space Administration Contracts Nos. 9-2468 and NGR 44-003-018.     

Inclusive fitness theory and eusociality

Arising from M. A. Nowak, C. E. Tarnita & E. O. Wilson 466, 1057-1062 (2010); Nowak et al. reply. Nowak et al. argue that inclusive fitness theory has been of little value in explaining the natural world, and that it has led to negligible progress in explaining the evolution of eusociality. However, we believe that their arguments are based upon a misunderstanding of evolutionary theory and a misrepresentation of the empirical literature. We will focus our comments on three general issues.