Lack of mutagenicity of irradiated glucose in Salmonella typhimurium using host-mediated assay

Experiments were conducted to study the ability of irradiated glucose to induce reverse mutations in S. typhimurium by host-mediated assay. The results revealed no significant increase in the frequency of reverse mutations compared to controls.     

Demonstration of retinoic acid isomers in human urine under physiological conditions

Untransformed retinoic acid has never been demonstrated in human excreta under normal physiological conditions. We have developed a two-step liquid chromatographic system for the demonstration of subnanogram amounts of this compound in human urine without administration of any precursor.     

Moderate cooling depresses the accumulation and the release of newly synthesized catecholamines in isolated canine saphenous veins

Moderate cooling (from 37 degrees to 24 degrees C) depressed the formation of 3H-dopamine and 3H-norepinephrine from 3H-tyrosine by isolated canine saphenous veins. Cooling reduced the evoked release of newly synthesized catecholamine to the same extent as that of stored norepinephrine. Hence the augmentation by cold of the contractile response to sympathetic nerve stimulation observed in earlier work is not accompanied by an augmented release of newly synthesized norepinephrine.     

Androstenedione or corticosterone treatment during pregnancy alters estrous cycle of adult female offspring in mice

Female offspring from mice injected with androstenedione during late pregnancy showed lengthened vaginal cycles, persistent estrus and decreased incidence of pro-estrus and diestrus, whilst offspring from mice injected with corticosterone showed increased incidence of diestrus. These observations give qualified support to the hypothesis that stress during pregnancy alters the female offspring reproductive system through the action of adrenal steroids.     

Differences in cardiac myosin light chain LC1 among human, monkey and sheep

The atrial and ventricular myosin light chains of human, monkey and sheep hearts were compared by dodecylsulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The atrial light chain 2 and ventricular light chain 2 are similar among these mammals. However, the atrial light chain 1 of monkey has different electrophoretic mobility from those of human and sheep. The monkey ventricular light chain 1 has same mobility as that of sheep but different from that of human.     

The use of cyclophosphamide as an enhancer of the vaccine against foot-and-mouth disease

The immunization of biungulate animals with killed foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) requires periodic vaccinations due to a low vaccine immunogenicity. Therefore, FMDV antigens need to be combined with adjuvants such as aluminum hydroxide, saponin or oil emulsions. Animal handling for periodic inoculations, and the repeated doses of vaccines that have to be administered increase the commercialization costs. Moreover, the use of adjuvants may induce adverse effects.In the present work we show that it is possible to increase the life span of neutralizing antibodies in serum when a single dose of cyclophosphamide (Cy) is administered four days before vaccination with aluminum hydroxidesaponin FMDV vaccine.     

Antiviral activities of anthraquinones,bianthrones and hypericin derivatives from lichens

The antiviral activities of some naturally occurring anthraquinones bianthrones, and hypericin derivatives were compared by the end-point CPE (viral cytopathic effects) method and plaque assays. Under optimal conditions of exposure to light, hypericin, 7,7-dichlorohypericin and 5,7-dichloroemodin exhibited strong inhibitory activity against HSV-1 (herpes simplex virus type 1) in both assays. Partial inactivation of the virus was shown by emodin, 7-chloroemodin and 7-chloro-1-O-methylemodin; the bianthrones and other anthraquinones were found to be inactive. Antiviral activity appeared to be, positively correlated with increasing substitution of chlorine in the anthraquinone structure. In the absence of light, only hypericin and 7,7-dichlorohypericin displayed detectable activity.     

Butterflies and ants: The communicative domain

Associations with ants, termed myrmecophily, are widespread in the butterfly family Lycaenidae and range from mere co-existence to more or less specific mutualistic or even parasitic interactions. Secretions of specialized epidermal glands are crucial for mediating the interactions. Transfer of nutrients (carbohydrates, amino acids) from butterfly larvae to ants plays a major role, but manipulative communication with the help of odour signals is also involved. By means of myrmecophily, lycaenid butterflies largely escape ant predation, and certain species gain protection through attendant ants or achieve developmental benefits from ant-attendance. Benefits to the ants range from minimal to substantial food rewards. While most lycaenid species maintain facultative relationships with a variety of ant genera, highly specific and obligatory associations have convergently evolved in a number of butterfly lineages. As a corollary, communication systems are largely unspecific in the former, but may be highly specialized in the latter. The sophisticated communication between obligate myrmecophiles and their host ants is tightly connected with the evolutionary rise of specialized life-cycles and thus is a source of augmenting diversity within the butterflies.