Experimental desquamation of intestinal epithelium for in vivo studies of regeneration

Summary Complete removal of villous as well as upper-crypt epithelium was achieved in vivo by vibration of an intestinal segment using tetraphenylboron sodium (TPB) as a disassociation agent.Acknowledgments. The authors thank Hicol Industrieterrein De Bosschen for supplying TPB. Research was supported by MR-II 1.3.14.p.2 grant.     

Telomerase and drug resistance in cancer

It is well known that a decreased expression or inhibited activity of telomerase in cancer cells is accompanied by an increased sensitivity to some drugs (e.g., doxorubicin, cisplatin, or 5-fluorouracil). However, the mechanism of the resistance resulting from telomerase alteration remains elusive. There are theories claiming that it might be associated with telomere shortening, genome instability, hTERT translocation, mitochondria functioning modulation, or even alterations in ABC family gene expression. However, association of those mechanisms, i.e., drug resistance and telomerase alterations, is not fully understood yet. We review the current theories on the aspect of the role of telomerase in cancer cells resistance to therapy. We believe that revealing/unravelling this correlation might significantly contribute to an increased efficiency of cancer cells elimination, especially the most difficult ones, i.e., drug resistant.     

Overview of bat species reported in Albania with the first country records for eight species

The bat fauna of Albania, a country located in a Balkan glacial refugium and a Mediterranean biodiversity hotspot, has remained poorly studied although as many as 21 species and representatives of three species complexes had been reported before 2003. It was expected that several new species would be added to the country’s list of fauna, not only due to their occurrence in adjacent regions but to the splitting of already known taxa into sibling species and the discovery of new, cryptic species. Altogether, we recorded 32 bat species in Albania, including all of those previously reported (21) and 11 new species for the country, as a result of field work conducted in 2003–2012. Here, we report on eight bat species including Rhinolophus mehelyi, Nyctalus lasiopterus, Plecotus kolombatovici, Barbastella barbastellus, Myotis brandtii that had not been reported previously in Albania while three species (Pipistrellus pipistrellus, Plecotus austriacus, Myotis mystacinus) had been reported before changes to their taxonomy and so could be treated only as representatives of a particular species complex (i.e. sensu lato). We greatly extended the known geographic ranges of five species in the south of Europe.     

Another inordinate fondness†: diversity of the tanaidacean fauna of Australia,with description of three new taxa

The shallow-water tanaidacean fauna of the Bass Strait has been the subject of recent intensive studies. The present paper extends this work into the deeper waters of the region, describing two new species and one new genus. The new species of the genus Paradoxapseudes has a combination of three maxillule palp setae, no plumose setae on the basis of pereopod 1 nor proximal serration on the antennal peduncle. The second species represents a new genus of the family Anarthruridae, having six marginal setae on the third maxilliped palp article and spines on the merus and carpus of the anterior pereopods. The high diversity of Tanaidacea in Australian waters is discussed. In particular, we conclude that Australian coasts suffer a diversity of immigration routes, have sufficient marine longevity, and afford such a diversity of available niches to have allowed multiple colonization and subsequent allopatric speciation of Tanaidacea. http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:EE309A5A-E06D-416F-95BD-4C8D0D2BEB97     

Receptors for thymosin fraction V on rat thymic lymphocytes

Summary Binding by rat thymus lymphocytes of thymosin V, labeled with colloidal gold, was studied. Under the experimental conditions employed at least 2.8% cells exhibited thymosin binding sites.This article originally appeared in Experientia 38 (5) 1982, p. 618 but was accompanied by imporperfigures. Supported by Polish Academy of SciencesThe authors thank Dr A.L. Goldstein for the gift of thymosin. Also are grateful to Dr J. Jaroszewski for helpful discussion.     

Red blood cell glutathione peroxidase in simple trisomy 21 and translocation 21/22

Summary Red blood cell glutathione peroxidase activity was increased by bbout 50% in all Down's syndrome patients studied. It was slightly lower in translocation as compared with simple trisomy 21 but much higher with respect to controls. We are indebted to Prof. M. Ferguson-Smith from the Department of Medical Genetics, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Glasgow, Scotland, for helpful discussions regarding our results.     

The effect of noradrenaline on heat production in the new-born pig

Résumé La production de chaleur, la température du corps et du QR de 6 porcelets âgés de 4 à 13 jours, avant et après l'injection s.c. de noradrénaline (200 g/kg) ont été déterminées. On n'a pas constaté l'effet de l'injection de noradrénaline sur les animaux de 4–6 jours, pendant que le métabolisme et la température du rectum des porcelets âgés de 11–13 jours augmentaient distinctement, et que la valeur du QR a baissait significativement.

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The authors are indepted to Dr.Maria Kotarbiska-Urbaniec for the provision of experimental animals.     

Morphological basis of follicle cells - oocyte interaction in normal pupae and isolated pupal abdomina ofGalleria mellonella L.

Résumé Le plasmalemme des oocytes se caractérise par une grande activité pinocytosique au cours de la vitellogenèse. Celle-ci semble être contrôlée par des facteurs hormonaux, car l'ablation des glandes endocrines bloque complètement cette activité.

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This work was supported in part by Grant No. FG-Po-221 from the U.S. Agricultural Department.     

Hypercoagulability and thrombocytopenia after platelet factor 4 infusion into rabbits

Résumé Le facteur plaquettaire 4 injecté aux lapins par la voie i.v. cause un abaissement rapide de taux de fibrinogène et de nombre de plaquettes, le racourcissement de temps de coagulation et l'augmentation de plaquettes adhésives.