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.     

Experiments on mitochondrial swelling in vivo

Riassunto E stato provato l'effetto sui mitocondri in vivo dei seguenti composti che producono rigonfiamento dei mitocondri isolati in vitro:l-cistina,l-cisteina, glutatione, L-ascorbato,l-tiroxina,l-3, 5, 3-triiodotironina, fosfato e Ca⁺⁺. Solo il Ca⁺⁺ ha provocato un aumento di volume dei mitocondri nelle cellule provate, i mioblasti coltivati in vitro.     

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.     

Studies on the behaviour of circular dichroism of different haemoglobins in the 260 nm region

Zusammenfassung CD-Messungen mit hoher Auflösung an Hämoglobinen verschiedener Spezies ergaben eine Aufspaltung der breiten Absorptionsbande bei 260 nm in 4 einzelne Maxima. Diese stimmen mit der Bandenlage des Phenylalanins im Absorptionsspektrum vom Hämoglobin gut Überein und werden daher diesem Chromophor zugeordnet.     

Intracellular localization and heterogeneity of alkaline phosphatase of Yoshida ascites sarcoma

Zusammenfassung In Yoshida-Sarkomzellen ist die alkalische Phosphatase vorwiegend in der partikelfreien Fraktion in gelöster Form lokalisiert. Gelfiltration fÜhrt zu einer Auftrennung des Enzyms im partikelfreien Überstand von 6 Fraktionen, des Enzyms in den Zellkernen bei 2 Fraktionen.

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We are grateful to Tenovus (Wales) for financial support.