Villus growth and cell replacement in the small intestine of the neonatal pig

Summary Cells produced in the crypts of newborn pig ileum migrate onto villi during development. There is little or no corresponding loss of cells from villus tips during the first week of postnatal life. Villus growth during this period is largely responsible for the slow rate of cellular renewal seen to take place.     

Differentiation antigens in keratinocytes]

By means of indirect immunofluorescence with human sera it has been demonstrated that cytoplasmic components of the basal cell layer showed antigenic differences as compared to the upper cell layers. Moreover there were differences whether the cells were involved in a mucous, a parakeratinized or an orthokeratinized differentiation.     

HLA-restricted T-cell recognition of Epstein-Barr virus-infected B cells

In mice the cytotoxic T-cell response to several types of virus is influenced by genes within the major histocompatibility complex; in particular, genetic control is exercised at the effector cell level through a requirement that virus-specific cytotoxic T cells recognise viral antigens in association with H-2K and H=2D region gene products on the surface of infected cells. In man the restriction which the analogous HLA-A, -B and -C-region gene products might place on virus-specific T-cell function is still in dispute. The earliest and most controversial evidence concerns the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), a B lymphotropic agent which causes infectious mononucleosis (IM) and which induces an unusually vigorous T-cell response; cytotoxic T cells from IM patients' blood were shown to be EBV-specific yet, in contrast to mouse systems, apparently free of any obvious HLA restriction. Since then T-cell recognition of EBV-infected B cells has assumed particular significance as a model system for the study of cytotoxic T-cell function in man. This report describes the results of a new approach clearly indicating that HLA-A and -B region products do indeed have a role in this system.     

Effect of lesions of the locus coeruleus complex on the circadian rhythm of plasma corticosterone in the mouse

Summary An apparently transient elevation of basal morning (08.00 h) plasma corticosterone levels in male mice was found 48 h after bilateral electrolytic lesions of the brainstem locus coeruleus complex but was not observed 6 weeks after lesioning.Supported by Alfred P. Sloan Foundation research fellowships awarded to W.G. Luttge and S.F. Zornetzer.     

The effects of oxamate on the contractility of isolated rat atria

Zusammenfassung Oxamat, das die Lactat-Dehydrogenase hemmt, erniedrigt die Kontraktionsfähigkeit des Vorhofs mit und ohne Anwesenheit von Glucose im Medium und bei Hinzufügung von 2-DG oder Atropin. Hohe Konzentration von Pyruvat erhöht die Depression von Oxamat auf den Vorhof im Glucose-Milieu. Oxamat sensibilisiert das Gewebe für funktionellen Abbau durch Glycolyse.

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This research was supported by grants No. 1441 and No. HE-994801 from Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones de la República Argentina, and from the National Institute of Health, respectively.

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Research Fellow from the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones de la República Argentina.

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Established Investigator from the Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones de la República Argentina.     

Mitotic activity of mast cells in precancerous mouse skin

Résumé En utilisant le 7, 12-diméthylbenza()nthracène (DMBA) on a provoqué un papillome dans la peau de la souris. On observe de nombreuses figures mitotiques dans les mastocytes du papillome formé. Le coefficient mitotique est de 0,6–0,7%; l'injection de colchicine augmente sa valeur.     

Mögliche Beziehungen der optischen Aktivität zum Problem des Alterns

Summary The solubilities and other properties of compounds made by combination of optically active components, e.g. the solubilities of the salts made from the dextro-form of an acid and the dextro- or the laevo-form of a base are in some instancesextremely different. It is a consequence of these differences that in a living organism, containing optically active substance,the degree of optical purity of these substances is of outmost importance. The presence of undesired antipodes of any kind might fundamentally disturb the metabolism. It is also known that living organisms at least partly and continuously produce the optically active substances needed bysynthesis from optically inactive material.A kinetical and thermodynamical study of the conditions under which optically active substances can, with use of optically active catalysers, be synthetized from inactive material, shows that the degree of optical purity of the material synthetized is, even under the most favorable conditions, maximum in the beginning of the synthesis andis bound to decay when the synthesis is, chemically speaking,completed and if the synthetized material is left in contact with the catalyzer. Thus a racemization of the synthetized active material occurs in which the catalyzer which has originally produced this active substance actively accelerates the deterioration of its state of optical purity.The means are discussed by which the organism is able to delay this loss of optical purity; and it is shown that all poosible means to do so are indeed used by the organism. As these means can delay but never completely avoid the decay of optical purity, this decay, even if it be slow, i.e.an ageing of optical purity, is a necessity in the course of the life of a living organism. As a loss of optical purity must disturb the normal metabolism, this must, even if no other events occur, limit the individual life.Experimental evidence which would check the prediction of decay of optical purity with age is incomplete; in several instances, however, the experimental technique permits us to detect and to follow the occurrence of finite small amounts of undesired antipodes, e.g. of some amino acids in the proteins of living organisms.

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Vortrag, gehalten vor der Schweizerischen Gerontologischen Gesellschaft in Basel am 11. Dezember 1954.     

Biosynthesis of animal and plant bufadienolides. Parallel experiments with pregn-5-en-3-ß-ol-20-one-20-14C inScilla maritima andBufo paracnemis

Zusammenfassung Pregnenolon-20-¹⁴C wird von roten Meerzwiebeln als Vorstufe für herzwirksame Glykoside verwendet, dagegen kannBufo paracnemis diese Produkte, subkutan appliziert, nicht in die üblichen Krötengifte überführen.