The effect of guanethidine treatment of testicular blood flow and testosterone production in rats

Testicular blood flow was measured by means of Xenon-133 clearance in control rats and rats treated with guanethidine for 3 weeks. Plasma and testis testosterone concentrations were also measured, and the effect of hCG-treatment was examined. No difference in testicular blood flow between the control group and the guanethidine-treated group was found. However, in guanethidine-treated rats, plasma and testis testosterone concentrations after hCG-treatment were significantly decreased. The results may indicate that adrenergic nerves are involved in the regulation of Leydig cell function.     

Urushiol components as mediators in DNA strand scission

Summary Poison oak urushiol, a mixture of 3-alk(en)ylcatechol derivatives was found to mediate DNA strand scission in the presence of oxygen and with copper(II) chloride as a catalyst. The reactionis believed to occur via activated reduced oxygen produced during oxidation of the catechol into itso-quinone derivative.     

IgG purification to measure the level of an iodinated thyroglobulin peptide, the 3,5,3',5' tetraiodo-l-tyrosyl-l-tyrosine in human serum

Antibodies reacting with 3,5,3',5' tetraiodo-l-tyrosyl-l-tyrosine (I2Tyr-I2Tyr) were elicited in rabbits by immunization with an oxidized yeast conjugate coupled with I2Tyr-I2Tyr. Ion-exchange chromatography was used to purify immunoglobulins, in order to improve the specificity in measurement of I2Tyr-I2Tyr level in patient serum. IgG binding capacity versus I2Tyr-I2Tyr was considerably increased after immunoglobulin purification.     

Injection of a soluble sperm fraction into sea-urchin eggs triggers the cortical reaction

Fertilization membranes form around unfertilized sea-urchin eggs after microinjection of a soluble spermatozoa fraction isosmotic with seawater. This demonstrates that the spermatozoon contains a chemical that triggers an increase in cytosolic calcium, leading to exocytosis of cortical granules. It also demonstrates that the triggering mechanism does not require an externally-activated egg-membrane process. Further experiments show that the chemical trigger is not calcium.     

Communicating junctions between pillar cells in the gills of the atlantic hagfish,Myxine glutinosa

Summary In the respiratory lamellae of the gills of the atlantic hagfish,Myxine glutinosa, pillar cells are coupled by communicating junctions. It is suggested that these cells behave like a functional syncytium.Supported by the DFG, SFB 146. The authors are indebted to Drs F. Walvig and H. Stolte for kindly providing the hagfish. The expert technical assistance of G. Voss-Wermbter, Dipl.-Ing., and H. Heidrich is gratefully acknowledged.     

Studies on correlations between chloroquine-induced tissue damage and serum enzyme changes in the rat

The administration of chloroquine to rats resulted in a significant elevation of serum enzymes and a corresponding decrease of these enzymes in the tissues. The changes in serum and kidney enzymes were most marked, thus indicating a primary renal dysfunction.