Density gradient centrifugation of cells separated from multicellular tumor spheroids

Summary Cells from a murine fibrosarcoma (FSa) have been grown in vitro as multicell tumor spheroids (MTS). The growth rate of these MTS was determined. Follwing selected periods of growth, MTS were made into a single cell suspension and separated on linear density gradients of Renografin. While only 1 population of cells was separated from small spheroids (400 m diameter), at least 3 subpopulations of tumor cells were separated and isolated from large spheroids (800 m in diameter).This investigation was supported in part by grants numbered CA-18628 and CA-06294, awarded by the National Cancer Institute, DHEW.     

An independent microbial flora of the epithelium and its role in the ecomicrobiology of the rumen

IT has been suggested that the bacterial flora of the rumen should be considered as three distinct, interacting populations-the bacteria of rumen fluid (the population which has been studied most extensively), the bacteria associated with food particles, and the bacteria adhering to the epithelial wall of the organ(1). Until now, studies of the 'epithelial' population have been restricted to examination of postmortem samples of wall tissue and its attached bacterial flora(2-5). A recently developed technique(6) for feeding young sheep for long periods solely by infusion of protein and other essential nutrients into the abomasum, and of volatile fatty acids and bicarbonate buffer into the rumen, has provided us with an opportunity to study in isolation the role of the bacterial population of the wall in the ecomicrobiology of the rumen in the living animal. Our studies show that this population can exist independently of the other two populations, that it is primarily responsible for urea digestion in the rumen and that it initiates breakdown of dead epithelial tissue. Furthermore, our results point to an inverse relationship between ammonia concentration and ureolytic activity in rumen fluid, which may account for the control which ammonia exerts over flux of urea across the rumen wall(7-9).     

Neurotransmitter synthesis inLimulus ventral nerve photoreceptors

Summary Radiochemical precursor compounds for neurotransmitters were incubated withLimulus ventral nerve photoreceptor preparations. Octopamine was preferentially synthesized by a photoreceptor rich fraction of the nerve, acetylcholine was made by a photoreceptor poor fraction, and -aminobutyric acid was made about equally well in both fractions. The possibility that the ventral nerve photoreceptor cells serve a neurosecretory function in the adultLimulus is discussed.From the Neurobiology Course, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, Mass. The Neurobiology Course is supported by grants from the Grass, Sloan and Sandoz Foundation and from Merck, Sharp and Dohme Research Institute.     

Gene amplification in oocytes of the rove beetleCreophilus maxillosus (staphylinidae,coleoptera-polyphaga

Summary The extra-DNA body was found, for the first time, in oocytes of an insect with telotrophic ovary. Dispersion of this body is accompanied by an enormous increase of nuclear volume and production of multiple nucleoli. It is suggested that the extra-DNA contains a huge mass of nucleolus organizers.This research was supported in part by funds from the Cytobiology Committee of the Polish Academy of Science.     

Nuclear pores in the spermatozoon of the rat

Summary The paper describes a hexagonal array of nuclear pores in a non-redundant region of the nuclear envelope underlying the basal surface of the rat spermatozoon head. It is concluded that intranuclear material protruding through these pores is the cause of the characteristic rows of circular bumps found in surface replicas of this region.     

Effect of the extracts from Aristolochia indica Linn. on interception in female mice.

The crude petroleum ether, chloroform and alcoholic extracts from the roots of Aristolochia indica (Linn.) showed 100% interceptive activity in mature female mice at the single dose of 100 mg/kg body wt. The follow-up studies with the chloroform extract showed the most significant effect in the basic part and two acidic fractions at the single dose levels of 50 mg/kg body wt. No toxic effect was observed at the dose levels used.     

The suppression of mouse spontaneous locomotor activity by the ingestion of deuterium oxide.

The spontaneous locomotor activity of the laboratory mouse is significantly depressed by the ingestion of deuterium oxide. The response, which is reversible, is a retilinear one with up to 70% reduction in activity with the administration of 25% heavy water.