Age-dependent response of lactate dehydrogenase of pituitary of rat to testosterone

Summary The effects of time and various doses of testosterone on the responsiveness of lactate dehydrogenase of pituitary of 7-, 38- and 78-week-old rats were studied. The activity of the enzyme increases in 78-week-old rats. Castration decreases the enzyme activity at all ages. Maximum increase in the enzyme activity is seen with 50 and 100 g of testosterone 4 h after administration of hormone to castrated rats. No further time and dose-dependent effect is observed. The magnitude of increase for the enzyme is higher at the age of 38 weeks and decreases in 78-week-old rats.To whom all correspondence should be addressed. The authors are grateful to Professor M.S. Kanungo, Biochemistry Laboratory, Department of Zoology, Banaras Hindu University for the suggestions and encouragement. K.V.G. thanks the PL-480 for a research fellowship.     

Degradation of ribosomal RNA from Escherichia coli by ribonuclease U2 and in vitro transcription of "RNA-fragments" into complementary DNA]

Under well defined conditions ribosomal RNAs purified from Escherichia coli can be degraded by ribonuclease U2 giving rise to RNA fragments of 60--70 nucleotides. In vitro, these fragments are efficiently transcribed into a complementary DNA by DNA polymerase RNA dependent, partially purified from extracts of E. coli. In vivo, "RNA-fragments-U2" inhibit the development of plant tumors.     

Conversion of mammalian cyclic GMP-dependent protein kinase into modulator-dependent protein kinase (type II) in vitro

The spontaneous conversion of mammalian cyclic GMP-dependent protein kinase (G-PK) into modulator-dependent protein kinase (type II) (M-PKII) in the absence of cGMP or histone was observed in vitro. The findings, together with similarity in substrate protein specificity, suggest that M-PKII is the catalytic subunit of mammalian G-PK.     

Epithelial-mesenchymal interaction in differentiation of duodenal epithelium of fetal rats in organ culture

Summary Epithelial-mesenchymal interaction in the differentiation of duodenal epithelium of fetal rats was investigated by recombination experiments in vitro. The proportion of goblet cells in duodenal epithelium was significantly greater on recombination of developing duodenal epithelium with mesenchyme of the glandular stomach than on recombination with that of the duodenum. Mesenchyme of the glandular stomach or forestomach was better than duodenal mesenchyme in supporting morphogenesis of duodenal epithelium. Treatment of tissues with N-methyl-N-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) did not affect these tissue interactions.This work was supported by grants-in-aid for cancer research from the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture, Japan.Acknowledgment. The authors wish to express their gratitude to Prof. T. Mizuno of the University of Tokyo for valuable suggestions.     

Inheritance and expression ofEsterase-1 allozymes inPeromyscus leucopus

Summary We analyzed inheritance of 5Es-1 alleles inP. leucopus and found them to be co-dominant and segregating from a single autosomal locus, thereby verifying assumptions of Mendelian inheritance imfield data. We also described an allele that is silent in hemolysate, but is active in liver extract.Acknowledgment. Laboratory analysis was partially supported by a grant-in-aid (No. 0171-02-240-76) to Kaufman from the Research Foundation of State University of New York.     

Down's syndrome: changes in protein fractions of blood plasma

Summary A statistically significant decrease of prealbumin and statistically significant increases of alpha₂-macroglobulin and IgA were found in blood plasma of patients with Down's syndrome using quantitative crossed immunoelectrophoresis.We are indebted to Prof. T.C. Bøg-Hansen, University of Copenhagen, for the helpful discussion of our results.     

Examination of naturally occurring polyacetylenes and α-terthienyl for their ability to induce cytogenetic damage

Summary -Terthienyl and 5 polyacetylenes were examined for chromosome damaging activity using Syrian hamster cells. None of these naturally occurring compounds induced sister chromatid exchanges and neither -terthienyl nor phenylheptatriyne induced chromosome aberrations.The authors wish to thank the National Science and Engineering Research Council for financial support of this research.     

A selective concentration-dependent dysrhythmogenic and antidysrhythmic action of prostaglandins E2, F2α and I2 (prostacyclin) on isolated rat hearts

Summary Prostaglandins (PGs) E₂, F₂, and I₂ were examined for their effects on the electrical and mechanical activities of isolated rat, rabbit and guinea-pig hearts. All PGs produced dysrhythmias in rat hearts at low concentrations only, while higher concentrations were antiarrhythmic. Guinea-pig hearts were less responsive while rabbit hearts were completely resistant.We thank the Manitoba Heart Foundation for financial support and Dr J. Pike (Upjohn, Kalamazoo, MI, USA) for gifts of prostaglandins. Dr M. Karmazyn is a Fellow of the Canadian Heart Foundation.     

The induction of chromosome aberrations in human lymphocytes by negative π-mesons under conditions of anoxia and oxygenation

Summary After a dose of 3.0 Gy in the peak position of the pion depth-dose curve, the ratios between observed chromosome aberration yields under conditions of oxygenation and of anoxia were obtained for lymphocytes exposed at 3 depths in a plastic phantom. These ratios were 3.7, 1.9 and 1.3 in the plateau, peak and post-peak positions, respectively, suggesting a corresponding decrease in the oxygen enhancement ratio.Acknowledgments. We wish to thank Dr D.H. Reading, Mr M.A. Hynes and Mr W. Spinks for their assistance at the Rutherford Laboratory's -II beam line. This work was partly supported by Euratom Contract 171-76-1 BIO-UK.