Influence of season and activity on sodium content of bones and plasma of the bat,Myotis lucifugus

Zusammenfassung Plasma und Knochensubstanz von Mikrochiropteren wurden auf Natriumgehalt untersucht. Der Knochen-Natriumgehalt nimmt im Verlauf der Winterschlaflethargie ab und kehrt zu höheren Werten bei Sommerfledermäusen zurück. Die Knochen-Natriummenge ist bei aktiven Fledermäusen, die in ihren Bewegungen während des Sommers und Winters behindert wurden, niedriger als bei freigelassenen Fledermäusen. Dies zeigt, dass die Bewegung keinen starken Einfluss auf den Mineralgehalt der Knochen hat. Der Plasma-Natriumgehalt der Fledermäuse ist höher als in den meisten andern Säugetieren und scheint zudem zu Beginn des Winterschlafs besonders hoch zu sein.     

The European Science Foundation: Excerpts from the annual report for 1987

Science Policy News

The European Science Foundation: Excerpts from the annual report for 1987     

Effect of L-carnitine and stimulated lipolysis on muscle substrates in the exercising rat

To test the effect of L-carnitine on glycogen sparing when fat oxidation is increased, 100 mg/kg/d were given to rats orally for 3 days, resulting in 1.8-fold higher muscle carnitine levels. Even when FFA were raised by heparin-stimulated lipolysis, the rate of glycogen degradation was not reduced during exercise.     

Destruction of triplet nitrenium ion by ascorbic acid

Zusammenfassung Die Reaktion des Karzinogens N-acetoxy-2-acetamidofluoren mit Guanosin wird durch Ascorbinsäure, jedoch nicht durch Zitronensäure gehemmt. Diese Hemmung bewirkt eine vermehrte Bildung von 2-Acetamidofluoren. Anscheinend reagiert Ascorbinsäure mit dem N-2-Fluorenyl-N-acetylnitreniumtriplett unter Bildung von Acetamidofluoren und oxidierter Ascorbinsäure.     

The effect ofβ-adrenergic stimulation and blockade on the efflux of PGE1-like material from the isolated perfused rabbit heart

Summary Prostaglandin (PG) release was measured from the isolated perfused rabbit heart. The effects of -adrenergic stimulation and blockade suggest that PG synthesis is regulated in part by adrenergic mechanisms.     

Differential lethality following treatment with ionizing radiations of various energies inDrosophila

Summary Male and female gametes ofDrosophila were treated with various doses of ionizing radiations: X-rays at different energy, and gamma-rays from 2 sources given singly and in 2 temporal sequences. The induced lethality was assessed in successive developmental stages by scoring the number of eggs, larvae and adults. The results clearly show that the effects of various radiations appear in terms of difference among developmental stages and/or between treated sexes/genotypes. It is suggested that the various energies affected different gene functions which are not completely independent, as supported by the non-additive effects of the two temporal sequences.Acknowledgments. The authors wish to thank Prof. D.L. Palenzona for valuable discussion and criticism and Mrs C. Brunaleschi and Mr E. Boschieri for their technical assistance.     

‘Chloride-cell’ — like mitochondria-rich cells of salamander larva gill epithelium

Summary Two types of mitochondria-rich cells (MRC) are described ultrastructurally in the gill epithelium of salamander larva. They resemble MRC found in larval ventral epidermis. Histochemical localization of carbonic anhydrase indicated numerous positive reacting cells, most of them flask-shaped. Morphological and functional similarities to fish chloride cells are discussed.     

Molecular mechanism for the production of multiple form of MM creatine kinase

Summary Incubation of human, canine or rabbit MM creatine kinase with carboxypeptidase-N or B resulted in the production of 2 additional enzyme forms with increased anodal migration on polyacrylamide gels. The C-terminal amino acid of tissue MM creatine kinase from all 3 species was shown to be lysine, a specific substrate for carboxypeptidase-N and B.     

Crown ethers which influence cardiac and respiratory muscle contractility

Guinea-pig tracheal smooth muscle and heart muscle demonstrated a variety of in vitro positive and negative inotropic responses to concentrations of crown ethers in the nmole/1 to mumole/1 range. It is suggested that these ionophoretic compounds have potential as therapeutic agents.