Preparation of specific antiserum against Rana esculenta pre-alpha lens crystallin.

Specific antiserum against Rana esculenta lens pre-alpha crystallin was prepared in a rabbit by injecting antigen-antibody precipitate of this crystallin obtained from immunoelectrophoresis of esculenta total soluble lens proteins against homologous antiserum.     

Verapamil和Propranolol对非胰岛素依赖型糖尿病透析患者物质代谢的影响

比较Ｖｅｒａｐａｍｉｌ和Ｐｒｏｐｒａｎｏｌｏｌ对患有胰岛素非依赖型糖尿病及轻度至中度高血压的透析患者的血糖和物质代谢的影响。方法：４６例患有非胰岛素依赖型糖尿病及轻度至中度高血压的透析患者，为德国福尔达市ＫｆＨ血透中心和柏林ＫｆＨ血透中心的透析病人。分别经Ｖｅｒａｐａｍｉｌ和Ｐｒｏｐｒａｎｏｌｏｌ治疗三个月后测空腹血糖、血红蛋白Ａ１ｃ、果酸、胰岛素、胆固醇和甘油三脂，同时记录透析前心率和血压。结果：Ｖｅｒａｐａｍｉｌ对血糖及物质代谢无不良影响，Ｐｒｏｐｒａｎｏｌｏｌ可引起血糖、果酸和血红蛋白Ａ１ｃ升高。结论：在糖尿病透析患者，Ｐｒｏｐｒａｎｏｌｏｌ具有引起和／或加重小动脉血管病病以及脑血管意外的危险性     

Retinoids, a new class of compounds with prophylactic and therapeutic activities in oncology and dermatology.

A review of recent investigations in the retinoid field is presented. Retinoic acid exerts a prophylactic and a therapeutic effect on chemically induced benign and malignant epithelial tumors in mice. In clinical studies positive therapeutic results have been obtained in patients with preneoplastic and neoplastic epithelial lesions. However, treatment with retinoic acid is limited by serious side effects (hypervitaminosis A syndrome). Therefore, the synthesis of analogs of retinoic acid (retinoids) possessing a more favorable therapeutic ratio has been initiated. Among a large series of synthesized compounds, certain aromatic analogs proved to have a particularly favorable therapeutic ratio. The structure-activity relationship of the most active retinoids is discussed including some biological data concerning prophylaxis and therapy of epithelial tumors. The total synthesis of retinoids according to various building schemes is discussed in detail. Methods for the synthesis of the cyclic end group, of the polyene chain component, and of the full retinoid skeleton are described. Metabolic studies of retinoic acid and of the most active retinoid, as well as the synthesis of some isolated metabolites are outlined. Suggestions concerning the mechanism of action of retinoids are made. Some clinical results on the treatment of acne, psoriasis and precancerous conditions are reported.     

Cholesterol 7alpha-hydroxylase activity of the rat liver after hypophysectomy and administration of hypophyseal hormones (author's transl)]

In order to elucidate the role of the hypophysis in the regulation of cholesterol 7alpha-hydroxylase activity, male and female rats hypophysectomized on day 50 of life were treated with different hypophyseal hormones and tested on day 85 of life. Only a crude extract from human hypophysis and ovine prolactin was able to enhance the enzyme activity, thereby restoring the level of intact controls.     

Structure of a human common cold virus and functional relationship to other picornaviruses

We report the first atomic resolution structure of an animal virus, human rhinovirus 14. It is strikingly similar to known icosahedral plant RNA viruses. Four neutralizing immunogenic regions have been identified. These, and corresponding antigenic sequences of polio and foot-and-mouth disease viruses, reside on external protrusions. A large cleft on each icosahedral face is probably the host cell receptor binding site.     

Biosynthesis of 1-alkenes in the defensive secretions ofTribolium confusum (Tenebrionidae); stereochemical implications

Summary The terminally unsaturated hydrocarbons of the defensive secretion ofTribolium confusum are biosynthesized from fatty acids by oxidative decarboxylation. The process involves an enantiospecific cleavage of the C–H bond of thepro-(S) C(3)–H atom and simultaneous decarboxylation of the acid into an 1-alkene and carbon dioxide via ananti-periplanar transition state geometry (anti-elimination). The stereochemistry of this biotranformation is identical in all respects with the same reaction in higher plants. The mechanism seems to be of general importance for the biosynthesis of many vinylic substructures of natural products from oxygen-containing precursors.     

Blocking of lectin-like adhesion molecules on pulmonary cells inhibits lung sarcoma L-1 colonization in BALB/c-mice

Summary Adhesion and inhibition experiments with pulmonary cells of BALB/c-mouse origin and syngeneic sarcoma L-1 cells indicated that L-fucose specific lectin-like adhesion molecules, presumably situated on pulmonary cell surfaces are (at least partly) responsible for the specificity of this cell-cell interaction. Addition of specific sugars and glycoconjugates (L-fucose and fucoidan, respectively) to the incubation medium evidently inhibited the adhesion process as quantified using radiolabelled tumor cells. Unspecific carbohydrates (e.g. D-galactose) did not affect the cellular interaction. In vivo, repeated administration of fucoidan (but not of unspecific glycoconjugates) significantly inhibited the settling of metastatic sarcoma L-1 cells in the lungs of BALB/c-mice. Therefore, when lectin-like adhesion molecules on pulmonary cells were blocked with competitive glycoconjugates, tumor cell colonization of the lung could be significantly inhibited.