Aging of connective tissues

Conclusion The brief summary of our present knowledge on the aging of intercellular matrix macromolecules shows the progress which has been made since the original important discovery of Verzár, but it also points out the very considerable gaps which still have to be filled by continued research efforts in this theoretically and practically important area. It is no secret to anyone that most of the disabling and killing diseases of advanced societies concern connective tissues: arteriosclerosis, diabetes, pulmonary obstructive lung diseases, osteoarticular diseases and cancer itself are all age-dependent, so-called aging diseases. The interaction between intercellular matrix and cancer cells plays an important role in the spreading of the tumors. For these other major diseases, the direct involvement of intercellular matrix is well documented. It is therefore hoped that a better grasp of the basic mechanisms involved in these diseases will help us to understand the difference between pathology and aging per se.     

The turnover of F-actin-bound ADP in vivo.

A procedure for estimating the rate of turnover of F-actin-bound ADP in vivo is described. A turnover rate of 0.88 h-1 was determined for mouse muscle F-actin. The validity of the method when used to estimate the turnover rate of F-actin per se is discussed in relation to the possible exchange of F-actin-bound ADP.     

Serum prolactin levels and maintenance of progeny by prenatally-stressed female offspring.

Prenatal stress significantly reduced the number of progeny born to 47% of the female offspring and significantly increased the incidence of low birthweight young. None of these litters survived by the tenth postpartum day when serum prolactin levels were significantly reduced. Upon autopsy, these females had twice as many uterine implantation sites than the number of fetuses they bore, suggesting that a) the reduced postpartum serum prolactin most likely was the cause rather than the effect of the neonatal mortality and b) major hormonal deficiencies (possibly gonadotropic-related) were present even before giving birth.     

Enzymatic characteristics of the guanylate cyclase of KB cells: their change as a function of the development of the cultures]

We have localized 71% of the guanylate cyclase activity in the (G X 105,000) supernatent fraction of broken KB cells. The reaction follows Michaelis-Menten kinetics, the apparent Km for GTP is 0,5 mM, as long as GTP is lower than a limited concentration, then activity is inhibited. The ion Mn++ is an absolutely required activator, it does not change enzyme-substrate affinity. The enzyme shows several types of binding sites of Mn++. Guanylate cyclase, studied over a period of development of culture, shows, in KB cells without cell contact, an activity higher than that observed in confluent cells. This is not due to the fact of a change in enzyme-substrate affinity but to a modification of Mn++ influence.