Age-related differences in the urinary excretion of prostaglandin F2α catabolites in the rat

Summary Tritium-labelled PGF₂ was administered i.v. into rats of varying ages (2, 4, 6 weeks and adult). Urine was collected and assayed for radioactive products by thin-layer-chromatography. Results showed a distinctly different urinary profile between the 2-week-old and the adult rat. While the urinary pattern from the 2-week-old rat gave a single less polar product than PGF₂, the pattern from the adult rat gave products more polar than PGF₂. Urine from the 4- and 6-week-old rats gave a mixture of these types of products. These results indicate that some prostaglandin catabolic pathway (likely the -oxidative system) is activated in vivo within the 4–6-week postnatal period in the rat.Supported by a grant (MT-4181) to C.P.-A. from the Medical Research Council of Canada.This study is in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a Ph.D. degree in the Department of Pharmacology, University of Toronto.     

The effect of physostigmine on (Na++K+)-ATPase activity in different rat brain regions

Summary The activity of (Na⁺+K⁺)-ATPase and acetylcholine esterase were folloed in rat brain cerebral cortex, caudate, thalamus, hippocampus and medulla after i.v. administration of physostigmine. Both enzymes were found to be inhibited in a dose-dependent manner. The most pronounced inhibition of (Na⁺+K⁺)-ATPase was found in caudate. where the highest activity of acetylcholine esterase is found.These studies were supported by a grant from the Union of Science of Republic Serbia, No. 40404-14.     

Properties of the larval hemocytes ofDrosophila melanogaster

Summary Contrary to Srdi and Gloor's report, we find crystal cells (cc) in the lymph glands ofD. melanogaster larvae; the size and number of inclusions in the cc cannot be used to distinguish the 2 sibling species,D. melanogaster andD. simulans; cc in the hemocoel are not phagocytic cells; the surface properties of the lamellocytes are consistent with their derivation from plasmatocytes and not cc.Supported by grant No. CA16619 awarded by the National Cancer Institute, DHEW, USPHS.     

Comparison of white pock (h) mutants of monkeypox virus with parental monkeypox and with variola-like viruses isolated from animals

Monkeypox mutants arising spontaneously or after serial, high multiplicity passage were characterized phenotypically and by restriction endonuclease mapping. Some resemble "whitepox" and variola viruses in several of the markers tested but all are distinguishable phenotypically from these. None resembles "whitepox" viruses in genome structure although near-terminal deletions or symmetrical, terminal rearrangements, relative to parental monkeypox, occurred. "Whitepox" viruses isolated from animals closely resemble variola in both phenotype and genome structure.     

Alpha- and beta-adrenergic receptors in rat myocardium membranes after prolonged ethanol inhalation

Summary After 3 weeks of continuous ethanol intoxication by inhalation, the maximal number and affinity of the -and -receptors of rat heart were unchanged. These data indicate that adrenergic receptor disturbances are not involved in the mechanism of chronic ethanol-induced triglyceride deposition in the heart.Acknowledgments. This work was supported by grants from the Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale. We wish to thank Mr M. Clément for skilled technical assistance in performing chronic ethanol inhalation treatments.     

Visualization of DNA in various phages (T4, χ, T7, ϕ 29) by ethidium bromide epi-fluorescent microscopy

Summary DNA-containing areas in various phages (T4, , T7 and 29) could be observed at the light microscopic level using ethidium bromide epi-fluorescent microscopy. The fluorescent intensity per phage was in linear proportion to the DNA content in each phage.Acknowledgements. This work was supported in part by the grant No. 521708 and No. 511212 from the Japan Ministry of Education, Science and Culture.     

Effect of spike disease on the 5′-and 3′-nucleotidase activities in sandal plants

Summary In the sandal plant affected by spike disease, caused by mycoplasma-like organisms, the changes occurring in the 5-and 3-nucleotidase activities were studied and their possible significance discussed.     

9-α-hydroxyparthenolide,a novel antitumor sesquiterpene lactone fromAnvillea garcini (Burm.) DC1

Summary A novel sesquiterpene lactone, 9--hydroxyparthenolide (1) was isolated from a chloroform extract ofAnvillea garcini that was collected in Iran. The structure of1 was assigned on the basis of high field NMR decoupling experiments and other spectroscopic evidence. This -methylene lactone has shown significant activity in both the 9KB cell culture and P388 mouse leukemia test systems.The authors acknowledge the support of contract No. N01-CM-97296 from the National Cancer Institute and the use of the Purdue University Biochemical Magnetic Resonance Laboratory (NIH grant No. RR01077). This is paper 16 in the series Potential Antitumor Agents.     

A microanalysis of colloid osmotic pressure

Summary A needle type of colloid osmometer has been devised with special attachments which made it useable with 3-l samples. It has been used in oncometry of fresh water teleosts to give the following results: 5.1±1.0 mm Hg for goldfish, 5.2±0.71 mm Hg for carp, and 14.3±0.75 mm Hg for eel.This study was supported in part by Research Grant 387036 from the Ministry of Education of Japan.invited to National Institute of Physiological Sciences, Okazaki, Japan.     

Failure of somatostatin to influence experimental tumor cell growth in vivo and in vitro

Summary The influence of somatostatin on tumor cell growth was studied in vivo in mice (sarcoma 180 ascites tumor and Lewis lung tumor) and in vitro on nontransformed and polyoma-transformed cell lines. 4 or 20 g/100 g of cyclic somatostatin and 4 g/100 g of linear protamin Zn-bound somatostatin were injected s.c. twice daily in the in vivo study. Cyclic somatostatin (1, 4 or 10 g/ml) was added twice daily to the cell cultures. Somatostatin administration influenced neither the survival of animals nor the growth rate of cultured cell lines. *** DIRECT SUPPORT *** A2025117 00011