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.     

Imbalance in the activities of alkaline phosphatase and Na+-K+-ATPase in the brain of experimentally induced phenylketonuric squirrels (Funambulus palmarum).

Phenylketonuric squirrels have shown marked inhibition of alkaline phosphatase in the olfactory lobes and cerebral hemispheres, whereas the Na+-K+-ATPase remained less altered. In the pathogenesis of phenylketonuria inhibition of alkaline phosphatase at the level of "Blood-Brain Barrier" (BBB), leads transport system to impaired functioning.     

Demonstration of generators of the locomotor and respiration rhythms in the cervico-thoracic spinal cord of rabbits

In curarized Rabbits whose cervico-thoracic cord has been isolated through C2 and Th12 transections, a pharmacological activation (nialamide-DOPA) disclosed distinct rhythmic efferent activities, locomotor-like bursts in forelimb muscle nerves and "respiratory" discharges in the phrenic nerves: they originate respectively from a cervico-thoracic locomotion generator and from a "respiration" generator; these spinal generators appear to be interconnected with each other.     

Hypnotic effect of serotonin administered in the vago-aortic afferent pathway

A minute amount of serotonin injected in the nodose ganglion circulation area develops abrupt myosis and general electrocortical synchronization activity in "encéphale isolé" Cat preparation. This hypnogenic effect of serotonin can still be reproduced after transection of vago-aortic nerves caudally to the nodose ganglia. The same injections become ineffective after rostral transection of the same pathway. These results suggest that serotonin may trigger some signs of sleep through peripheric nervous elements in which are probably localized in the nodose ganglia.     

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.     

Digestive enzymes in the gut and salivary gland of the larvae ofChilo auricilius Ddgn.

Summary Amylase, - and -glucosidase, - and -galactosidase, -fructosidase, trypsin, aminotripeptidase, leucine-aminopeptidase, prolinase, prolidase glycyl-L-leucine dipeptidase and glycylglycine dipeptidase are present in the 3rd instar larvae ofChilo auricilius.Dr Kishan Singh, Indian Institute of Sugarcane Research, Lucknow, is gratefully acknowledged for providing necessary facilities.     

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.     

Evidence for an unusual multifunctional protoreceptor in hormone action

Summary Contrary to the techniques of mere association, column chromatography has revealed a protoreceptor that accepts aldosterone agonists and antagonists only in the physiological target, the kidney, and is absent in non-targets, liver and serum; it is furthermore different from the aldosterone specific receptor in renal cytosol.Supported in part by grants from the CNRS AI 03 1917 and UER Broussais Hôtel Dieu.     

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.     

Furocaulerpin,a new acetylenic sesquiterpenoid from the green algaCaulerpa prolifera

Summary Furocaulerpin, an acetylenic sesquiterpenoid possessing a furan ring, has been isolated from the marine algaCaulerpa prolifera, and its stereostructure elucidated mainly on the basis of physico-chemical data.This work was carried out in the frame work of the Progetto Finalizzato per l'Oceanografia e i Fondi Marini, CNR, Rome. Thanks are due to the Centro di Metodologie Chimico-Fisiche of the University of Naples (Mr I. Giudicianni) for the determination of PMR-spectra.