U.S. agrigenetics: suit filed against NIH

Three environmental groups have filed suit against the National Institutes of Health in an attempt to block an experiment approved in April by the NIH Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee. The experiment, designed by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, to enhance the frost resistance of crops, would release genetically engineered organisms into the general environment for the first time. The suit, filed in a federal court in the District of Columbia, claims that releasing frost-resistant bacteria into the environment could have damaging ecological consequences, that NIH should have issued an environmental impact assessment before approving any experiment involving the release of genetically engineered organisms, and that the Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee lacks the expertise to assess environmental risks.     

The free radical oxidation of the tetrahydrocannabinols

Summary The free radical oxidation of ¹ and ⁶-tetrahydrocannabinol has been examined by spin trapping techniques and intermediates that would lead to cannabinol have been trapped. The 1st step in the oxidation of ¹-THC involves the removal of 3-H, while for ⁶-THC, either 2-H or 5-H. Intermediates were isolated which could be pyrolysed to the diene and cannabinol.     

Insulin stimulation of glucose and amino acid transport in mouse fibroblasts with elevated membrane microviscosity

Summary Basal and insulin-stimulated transport of 2-deoxy glucose and of -aminoisobutyric acid in mouse 3T3 fibroblasts were modulated by increasing the lipid microviscosity of the cell plasma membrane. The kinetics indicate that the insulin effect is induced either by recruitment of new transport carriers or by reduction of the translocation activation energy.This investigation was supported by grant No.5-R01-CA-27471-02, awarded by the National Cancer Institute, Department of Health, Education and Welfare.     

The identification of ecdysterone (20-hydroxyecdysone) in 3 species of molluscs (Gastropoda: Pulmonata)

Summary Ecdysterone has been identified in the schistosomiasis vectorBiomphalaria glabrata Say and inHelix aspersa Müller as well as inLymmaea stagnalis L. by chromatography, bioassay, radioimmunoassay, derivatization and by mass spectroscopy. Analysis of the food, faeces and hepatopancreas suggest that the sterol is derived from the diet. The probable function of ecdysterone in relation to calcification of the shell is discussed in this paper.We wish to thank Professor P. Karlson and Dr J. Koolman (Phillips University, Marburg-Lahn, FRG) for providing facilities for RIA. The initial study was begun at the University of Sussex and continued at the Courtauld Institute of Biochemistry, Middlesex Hospital Medical School, London, while D.L.W. was supported by the Ministry of Overseas Development. London and the Medical Research Council of Great Britain (grant G974/525/T). We thank Mr P. Mellon for the mass spectrum and Dr G.B. Russell for his interest in the earlier part of this study. We also thank Professor E. Scherer and Dr Q. Uwe (University of Essen, FRG) for their help in the irradiation ofL. stagnalis.Gauss Str. 82, D-4630 Bochum 5 (Federal Republic of Germany). Research results usingL. stagnalis were submitted for the Philips Europa Wettbewerb für junge Forscher und Erfinder (1979) in a thesis entitled Zur Frage der Existenz von Steroiden und Gonadoliberin bei der Grossen Schlammschnecke (Lymmaea stagnalis L.): ein Beitrag zur Evolution der Insekten- und Wirbeltierhormone.     

Chemotherapeutic effects of 4-isothiocyanato-4′-nitrodiphenylamine (C9333-Go/CGP 4540) on infections withNematospiroides dubius,Hymenolepis diminuta,Hymenolepis nana andSpirometra mansonoides

Summary 4-Isothiocyanato-4-nitrodiphenylamine possessed anthelmintic activity againstNippostrongylus dubius andHymenolepis nana in mice andH. diminuta in rats as determined by both egg counts and recovery of parasites at autopsy. No activity was detected against the cestode,Spirometra mansonoides, in cats.This investigation was supported in part by grants AI-10512 and AI-09483 from the National Institutes of Health. The authors are indebted to Dr P.P. Weinstein for providing animals infected withSpirometra mansonoides.     

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.     

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.     

Immunochemical identity of dipeptidyl aminopeptidase IV from pig serum, liver, submaxillary gland and kidney.

The enzymes which were extracted by autodigestion from the microsomal fractions of the pig kidney, liver and submaxillary gland and from the serum showed an immunochemical identity by a double immunodiffusion test. But the kidney enzyme had a different pI-value from the pI-values of the enzymes of other organs.