Differences between cytosol receptor complexes with corticosterone and dexamethasone in hippocampal tissue from rat brain.

The binding of [3H]corticosterone and [3H]dexamethasone to soluble macromolecules in cytosol of the hippocampal region of the brain has been studied in adrenalectomized male rats. Unlabeled dexamethasone appears to be a less effective competitor than corticosterone in the binding of [3H]corticosterone, while both unlabeled steroids compete equally well for the binding or [3H]dexamethasone. Further investigation of macromolecular complexes with [3H]dexamethasone and [3H]corticosterone revealed that they differ from each other in their behavior during ammonium sulfate precipitation, BioRad A-5M gel permeation chromatography, DE-52 anion exchange chromatography and DNA-cellulose chromatography. (1) After exposure to a 33% ammonium sulfate solution relatively more [3H]dexamethasone complex than [3H]corticosterone complex is precipitated. (2) Treatment of the cytosol with 0.3 M KCl gives disaggregation of the supramolecular 3H-labeled corticoid complexes which are seen eluting with the void volume during gel permeation chromatography on Biorad A-5M at low ionic strength. In 0.3 M KCl, the [3H]dexamethasone complex has an elution volume somewhat smaller than that of bovine serum albumin, while the [3H]-corticosterone complex in 0.3 M KCl is too unstable to survive chromatography with A-5M. (3) Chromatography on DE-52 resolved the 3H-labeled corticoid complexes into three binding components. The complex with [3H]dexamethasone contains a higher percentage (85%) of a component less firmly attached (i.e. eluted by 0.15 M KCl) to the anion exchange resin than is observed for the complex with [3H]corticosterone (49%). (4) The complexes with 3H-labeled corticoids display an enhanced affinity for calf thymus DNA adsorbed to cellulose following "activation", warming to 25 degrees C for 15 min. Concurrently, a fraction of the [3H]dexamethasone complex becomes able to more firmly attach to the DE-52 anion exchange resin. These results with the binding of the cytosol hormone-receptor complexes to DNA-cellulose do not explain the marked in vivo preference of hippocampus for the cell nuclear uptake of [3H] corticosterone. However, the other differences in the properties of the complexes formed with the two labeled glucocorticoids support our previous inference that there may be more than one population of adrenal steroid "receptors" in brain tissue.


Catecholamine secretion by isolated adrenal cells.

Isolated adrenal cells were prepared by collagenase digestion of guinea pig adrenal glands. Acetylcholine stimulates the secretion of catecholamines by these isolated adrenal cells. Acetylcholine-stimulated catecholamine secretion is inhibited by cholinergic blocking agents (atropine and hexamethonium) and by local anaesthetics (tetracaine), and is dependent upon the concentration of Ca2+ in the incubation medium. In the presence of Ca2+, catecholamine secretion is also stimulated by two divalent cation ionophores, A23187 and X-537A. Cyclic nucleotides and 5'-nucleotides cause a small, non-specific stimulation of catecholamine secretion. These results indicate that isolated adrenal cells are a useful system in which to study catecholamine secretion, and support the hypothesis that increased Ca2+ entry into chromaffin cells is a sufficient stimulus for catecholamine secretion.


The separation of partially modified lactate dehydrogenase by affinity chromatography. The specific activity of protomers?

Pig heart lactate dehydrogenase (L-lactate: NAD+ oxidoreductase, EC 1.1.1.27) was partially inactivated by reaction with phenylmaleimide. The resulting protein mixture was separated by affinity chromatography on a Sepharose-linked oxamate column yielding three distinct enzyme fractions with one, two and three out of four subunits being modified. The specific activities of these samples were lower than expected from the degree of modification, while the maximum binding capacity of NADH-oxamate related well to the number of catalytic centers modified. A possible cooperative effect in the native enzyme is discussed.


Kinetic studies on the reaction catalyzed by polynucleotide kinase from phage T4-infected Escherichia coli.

Kinetic properties of polynucleotide kinase (EC 2.7.1.78) isolated from Escherichia coli cells infected with phage T4 were investigated. The reaction depends on the concentration of MgATP, while free ATP or free Mg2+ have neither inhibitory nor accelerating effect. The initial reaction velocity was plotted against variable concentrations of ATP as the phosphate donor at various fixed concentrations of 5'-hydroxyl-DNA or -oligo(rA) as the phosphate acceptor in the presence or absence of products. The double reciprocal plot analysis of the data suggested that the reaction obeys the random sequential mechanism. Various constants were determined and the reaction mechanism was discussed.


Adenosine cyclic 3',5'-monophosphate-dependent protein kinase from human platelets.

A single cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinase (EC 2.7.1.37) has been isolated from human platelets by using DEAE-cellulose ion-exchange chromatography and Sephadex G-150 gel filtration. The molecular weight of the protein kinase was estimated to be 86 490. In the presence of cyclic AMP, the protein kinase could be dissociated into a catalytic subunit of molecular weight 50 000, and either one regulatory subunit of molecular weight 110 000 or two regulatory subunits of molecular weights 110 000 and 38 100, depending on the pH used. Recombination of either of the regulatory subunits with the catalytic subunit restored cyclic AMP-dependency in the catalytic subunit. The apparent Km for ATP in the presence of 10 muM Mg2+ was 4 muM (plus cyclic AMP) and 4.3 muM (minus cyclic AMP). The concentration of cyclic AMP needed for half-maximal stimulation of the protein kinase was 0.172 muM and apparent dissociation constants of 3.7 nM (absence of MgATP) and 0.18 muM (presence of MgATP) were exhibited by the "protein kinase-cyclic AMP complex". The enzyme required Mg2+ for maximum activity and showed a pH optimum of 6.2 with histone as substrate. In addition to four major endogenous platelet protein acceptors of apparent molecular weights 45 000, 28000, 18 500, and 11 100, the platelet protein kinase also phosphorylated the exogenous acceptor proteins thrombin, collagen and histone, all capable of inducing platelet aggregation. Prothrombin, a nonaggregating agent, was not phosphorylated.


Regulation in vitro of rat liver pyruvate kinase by phosphorylation-dephosphorylation reactions, catalyzed by cyclic-AMP dependent protein kinases and a histone phosphatase.

1. Cyclic-AMP dependent protein kinases, resolved by chromatography on DEAE-cellulose and hydroxylapatite, catalysed the phosphorylation of rat liver pyruvate kinase and calf thymus histones by [gamma32P]ATP. [32P]phosphopeptides, from acid hydrolysates of pyruvate kinase phosphorylated by the different protein kinase fractions, displayed identical electrophoretic patterns. Phosphorylation inhibited pyruvate kinase activity. 2. Full activity was restored when phosphorylated pyruvate kinase was dephosphorylated by a histone phosphatase from the soluble fraction of rat liver. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that pyruvate kinase is regulated by phosphorylation-dephosphorylation reactions.


Demonstration of insulin degradation by thiol-protein disulfide oxidoreductase (glutathione-insulin transhydrogenase) and proteinases of pancreatic islets.

Homogenate preparations of pancreatic islets have been found to degrade insulin by cleavage of the interchain disulfide bonds, followed by proteolysis of the resulting A and B chains. A proteolytic system of the pancreatic islets splitting not only 125I-labeled insulin A chain but also 125I-labeled glucagon at pH 7.0, was shown to be activated by glutathione and inhibited by EDTA. The results suggest that pancreatic islets contain both the thiol-protein disulfide oxidoreductase (glutathione : protein-disulfide oxidoreductase, EC 1.8.4.2) and the A and B chain-degrading enzyme(s). The effects of EDTA argue against the implication of cathepsins in insulin breakdown under the experimental conditions employed.


EPR signals from cytochrome c oxidase.

1. The major EPR signals from native and cytochrome c-reduced beef heart cytochrome c oxidase (EC 1.9.3.1) are characterized with respect to resonance parameters, number of components and total integrated intensity. A mistake in all earlier integrations and simulations of very anisotropic EPR signals is pointed out. 2. The so-called Cu2+ signal is found to contain at least three components, one "inactive" form and two nearly similar active forms. One of the latter forms, corresponding to about 20% of the total EPR detectable Cu, has not been observed earlier and can only be resolved in 35 GHz spectra. It is not reduced by cytochrome c and is thought to reflect some kind of inhomogeneity in the enzyme preparation. The 35 GHz spectrum of the cytochrome c reducible component shows a rhombic splitting and can be well simulated with g-values 2.18, 2.03 and 1.99. The origin of such a unique type of Cu2+ spectrum is discussed. 3. The low-spin heme signal in the oxidized enzyme (g = 3.03, 2.21, 1.45) is found to correspond closely to one heme and shows no signs of interaction with other paramagnetic centres. 4. The high-spin heme signals appearing in partly reduced oxidase are found to consist of at least three species, one axial and two rhombic types. An integration procedure is described that allows the determination of the total integral intensity of high-spin heme EPR signals only by considering the g = 6 part of the signals. In a titration with ascorbate and cytochrome c the maximum intensity of the g = 6 species corresponds to 23% of the enzyme concentration.


Influence of the carbon source on glycerol kinase activity in Neurospora crassa.

The level of glycerol kinase activity in Neurospora crassa was shown to change in response to resuspension of sucrose-grown mycelia in fresh medium containing a new carbon source: the magnitude of the change depended on the new carbon source provided. Certain carbon sources, such as glucose and fructose, inhibited the small increase that occurred in the absence of any carbon source. Others, and in particular deoxyribose, galactose, glycerol and ribose, greatly enhanced this increase. The activity induced by deoxyribose and galactose had the same stability, both in vivo and in vitro, as that induced by glycerol, and as that induced by incubation of Neurospora cultures at low temperatures. The inhibitory carbon sources, such as glucose and fructose, also restricted the increases induced by deoxyribose, galactose and glycerol: they had more effect on the increases induced by glycerol and deoxyribose than on that induced by galactose. The increase in activity that occurs at low temperature was also inhibited by glucose and sucrose.


A kinetic analysis of the cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase regulation by the endogenous protein activator. A study of rat brain and frog sympathetic chain.

The effect of the endogenous protein activator on the kinetic characteristics of a highly purified, activator-deficient rat brain phosphodiesterase (EC 3.1.4.-) of a highly purified, activator-deficient rat brain phosphodiesterase (EC 3.1.4-) was studied. This enzyme preparation has only a high Km for cyclic AMP and a low Km for cyclic GMP. In the presence of 20 muM Ca2+, saturating concentrations of the activator decreased the Km of this enzyme for cyclic AMP from 350 muM to about 80 muM, without changing the V. The phosphodiesterase activator did not change the Km of phosphodiesterase for cyclic GMP; however, amoderate increase of V was seen. The activator lacks species specificity; the activator isolated from the bullfrog sympathetic chain produced the same qualitative and comparable quantitative changes in the kinetic properties of the purified rat brain phosphodiesterase. Cyclic GMP is a potent competitive inhibitor of the phosphodiesterase activation by the activator (Ki=1.8 muM), using cyclic AMP as a substrate. Cyclic AMP inhibits slightly the hydrolysis of cyclic GMP by phosphodiesterase in the presence of activator (Ki=155 muM) only.


Proteolysis of canine apolipoprotein by acid proteases in canine liver lysosomes.

Canine liver lysosomes were purified by sucrose discontinuous density gradient centrifugation and then ruptured by sonication to obtain the soluble fraction. This soluble lysosomal fraction, which contained a 25-fold increase in acid phosphatase activity per mg of total protein when compared with the original homogenate, was incubated with a subfraction (1.110 less than d less than 1.210 g/cm3, HDL3) of canine high density lipoproteins (HDL) at pH 3.8. HDL3 proteolysis by lysosomal proteases, measured as the release of peptides and amino acids by the ninhydrin reaction, followed hyperbolic curves with straight lines (r = 0.99) obtained on Lineweaver-Burk plots. Km calculated from the Lineweaver-Burk plot was 635 mug of HDL3 protein per 0.5 ml of incubation mixture. Optimum HDL3 proteolysis was observed from pH 3.8 to 4.5. Incubation with the other subcellular organelle fractions did not result in HDL3 proteolysis. To evaluate the effects of enzyme inhibitors, iodoacetate, p-chloromercuribenzoate (both specific for the endopeptidase, cathepsin B (EC 3.4.22.1)) and pepstatin (specific for the endopeptidase, cathepsin D (EC 3.4.23.5) were tested. Iodoacetate and p-chloromercuribenzoate inhibited HDL3 proteolysis 100% and bovine serum albumin proteolysis 65%. Pepstatin inhibited HDL3 proteolysis 45% and bovine serum albumin proteolysis 70%. The in vitro data presented support the hypothesis that hepatic lysosomes play an important role in HDL3 catabolism in the dog. Furthermore, results obtained from enzyme inhibition studies suggest that a specific lysosomal endopeptidase, cathepsin B, may play the key role in HDL3 proteolysis.


Photochemical activities of reaction centers from Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides at low temperature and in the presence of chaotropic agents.

Light-induced absorbance changes were measured at low temperatures in reaction center preparations from Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides. Absorbance difference spectra measured at 100 degrees K show that ubiquinone is photoreduced at this temperature, both by continuous light and by a short actinic flash. The reduction occurred with relatively high efficiency. These results give support to the idea that ubiquinone is involved in the primary photochemical reaction in Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides. Reduction of ubiquinone was accompanied by a shift of the infrared absorption band of bacteriopheophytin. The rate of decay of the primary photoproducts (P+870 and ubisemiquinone) appeared to be approximately independent of temperature below 180 degrees K and above 270 degrees K; in the region between 180 and 270 degrees K it increased with decreasing temperature. The rate of decay was not affected by 0-phenanthroline. Secondary reactions were inhibited by lowering the temperature. The light-induced absorbance changes were inhibited by chaotropic agents, like thiocyanate and perchlorate. It was concluded that these agents lower the efficiency of the primary photoconversion. The kinetics indicated that the degree of inhibition was not the same for all reaction centers. The absorption spectrum of the photoconverted reaction centers appeared to be somewhat modified by thiocyanate.


Oxido-reductive titrations of cytochrome c oxidase followed by EPR spectroscopy.

Experiments are described on oxido-reductive titrations of cytochrome c oxidase as followed by low-temperature EPR and reflectance spectroscopy. The reductants were cytochrome c or NADH and the oxidant ferricyanide. Experiments were conducted in the presence and absence of either cytochrome c or carbon monoxide, or both. An attempt is made to provide a complete quantitative balance of the changes observed in the major EPR signals. During reduction, the maximal quantity of heme represented in the high-spin ferric heme signals (g approximately 6; 2) is 25% of the total heme present, and during reoxidation 30%. With NADH reduction there is little difference between the pattern of disappearance of the low-spin ferric heme signals in the absence or presence of cytochrome c. The copper and high-spin heme signals, however, disappear at higher titrant concentrations in the presence of cytochrome c than in its absence. In these titrations, as well as in those with ferrocytochrome c, the quantitative balance indicates that, in addition to EPR-detectable components, EPR-undetectable components are also reduced, increasingly so at higher titrant concentrations. The quantity of EPR-undectable components reduced appears to be inverely related to pH. A similar inverse relationship exists between pH and appearance of high-spin signals during yhe titration. At pH 9.3 the quantity of heme represented in the high-spin signals is less than 5%, whereas it approximately doubles from pH 7.4 to pH 6.1. In the presence of CO less of the low-spin heme and copper signals disappears for the same quantity of titrant consumed, again implying reduction of EPR undetectable components. At least one of these components is represented in a broad absorption band centered at 655 nm. The stoichiometry observed on reoxidation, particularly in the presence of CO, is not compatible with the notion that the copper signal represents 100% of the active copper of the enzyme as a pair of interacting copper atoms.


Regulation of penicillin acylase in Escherichia coli by cyclic AMP.

1. Cyclic AMP was found to stimulate penicillin acylase activity. 2. It also overcame the repression of glucose and restored enzyme synthesis to the non-repressed levels. 3. The conversion of inactive enzyme precursor into active enzyme was not stimulated by cyclic AMP in cells in which protein synthesis was inhibited by chloramphenicol. 4. Cyclic AMP failed to stimulate enzyme production in cells in which messenger RNA synthesis was arrested by rifampicin or inducer removal. 5. Cyclic AMP appears to participate in the regulation of this enzyme at the transcriptional level.


Base composition studies on mitochondrial 4 S RNA from rat liver and Morris hepatomas 5123D and 7777.

The major and modified base composition of mitochondrial 4 S RNA from rat liver and from Morris hepatomas 5123D and 7777 has been determined for 16 constituents using a chemical tritium-derivative method. The base composition of these mitochondrial 4 S RNA preparations was compared with the base composition of cytoplasmic and bacterial (Escherichia coli B and Bacillus subtilis) 4-S RNAs. The results of these studies are: 1. When compared with cytoplasmic 4 S RNA, the liver and hepatoma mitochondrial 4-S RNAs are characterized by high (A + U)/(G + C) ratios and low overall degrees of base methylation and modification. 2. The mammalian mitochondrial 4-S RNAs are qualitatively even more different from the bacterial 4-S RNAs than from their cytoplasmic counterparts. Thus, several modified constituents found in both cytoplasmic and mitochondrial 4 S RNA are absent from the bacterial 4-S RNAs. 3. Mitochondrial 4S RNA from both hepatomas was found to be under-methylated and undermodified when compared with normal liver mitochondrial 4S RNA. This trend is more pronounced for the rapidly growing hepatoma 7777 (i.e., 17% undermethylation) than for the more slowly growing hepatoma 5123D (i.e., 8% undermethylation). These findings are discussed in relationship to (1) results of other authors on composition of mitochondrial 4 S RNA, (2) special features of structure and biosynthesis of mitochondrial 4 S RNA, (3) the possible evolutionary origin of mitochondria and (4) the possible role played by aberrant mitochondrial 4 S RNA in altered mitochondrial protein synthesis in tumors.


Electron spin resonance analysis of irreversible changes induced by calcium perturbation of erythrocyte membranes.

Introduction of calcium during hemolysis of erythrocytes causes irreversible membrane changes, including protein aggregation. These changes have been investigated by incorporation of one protein and three fatty acid spin label probes into washed membranes from erythrocytes hemolyzed with a range of Ca2+ concentrations. Electron spin resonance spectra of the lipid probes were analyzed for changes in the order parameters, isotropic coupling constants and mean angular deviations of the lipid hydrocarbon chains. The results generally indicated an increased freedom of mobility of the probes with increased Ca2+ concentration during hemolysis, but the response of each probe showed a different concentration dependence. The maximal response was obtained with the I(5, 10) probe. Variations in the responses were interpreted to reflect different modes of protein-lipid or protein-probe interactions arising from Ca2+ -induced membrane protein alterations. Spectra from membranes treated with the protein spin label showed an increased ratio of immobilized to mobile label with increased Ca2+ concentrations at hemolysis. This is consistent with the membrane protein aggregation phenomena previously observed. It is suggested that the increased protein-protein interactions formed as a result of calcium treatment permit an increased lipid mobility in the membrane regions monitored by the fatty acid probes.


Change in zeta potential and membrane potential of slime mold Physarum polycephalum in response to chemical stimuli.

Electrophoretic study of microplasmodia of the true slime mold Physarum polycephalum was carried out in the presence of various concentrations of inorganic salts, nucleotides and sugars, and the zeta potential at the surface of the plasmodia was determined from the electrophoretic mobilities. The membrane potential of the plasmodia was also measured under the same external conditions. It was shown that changes in the membrane potential induced by the chemical stimuli agreed approximately with those induced in the zeta potential in all cases examined. These results suggested that the phase boundary potential at the membrane-solution interface is mainly responsible for the membrane potential in the chemoreception of the slime mold.


[Role of phospholipids in the generation of membrane potentials by proteoliposomes].

Closed protein-phospholipid particles (proteoliposomes), obtained by self-assembly method, are capable to generate and to maintain the membrane potential in the case if their protein complex is represented by: a) a complex of mitochondrial ATPase; b) a complex of cytochrome oxidase and cytochrome c and c) bacteriorhodopsin from Halobacterium halobium; and their phospholipid component is represented by phosphatidylethanolamine or by a mixture of mitochondrial phospholipids. Only cytochromoxidase and bacteriorhodopsin (but not ATPase) proteoliposomes with phosphatidylserine are active. Cardiolipin also is not active in experiments with ATPase. Phosphatidylcholine produces in all the cases proteoliposomes incapable of maintaining the membrane potential. It is concluded that the inefficiency of phosphatidylcholine in the formation of proteoliposomes, generating the membrane potential, is due to the impossibility of obtaining closed membrane forms with a high electric resistance. The inefficiency of phosphatidylserine and cardiolipine, in the case of ATPase protein component of proteoliposomes, may be due to a specific requirement of this generator of the membrane potential in phosphatidylethanolamine.


[Inositol-containing phospholipids in rat brain and liver].

A simple modification of the method of Rossiter and Palmer for the quantitative determination of phosphoinositides (PI) in animal tissues (brain and liver) is worked out: Phospholipids are mineralyzed (together with a paper) in 57% perchloric acid, avoiding the time consuming procedure of the tenfold elution of inositids spots from chromatogramms and the subsequent evaporation of the substantial volume of the eluate obtained. The time of the analysis is twice as short as that of the original method, the data obtained being reliable. The quantity of mono-, di- and triphosphoinositides in rat brain is as follows: 85.08, 11.33 and 32.85 mkg P/g wet tissue, but in liver it is 94.5, 1.88 and 2.5 mkg P/g wet tissue respectively.


[Characteristics of testosterone-binding cytoplasmic components in the human endometrium and their interaction with chromatin].

The existence of macromolecules which specifically bind 3H-testosterone is demonstrated in the soluble fraction of human uterus endometrium. Testosterone receptors of endometrial cytosol are heterogenous and comprise the component with high affinity (Kd--2,9x10(-10) M) and low capacity (concentration of binding sites--0,5 pmoles per mg of protein) and the component with lower affinity and higher capacity (4x10(-9) M and 4 pmoles/mg of protein respectively). Incubation of sliced of endometrium at 37 (but not at 0 degrees) with 3H-testosterone results in the binding of the steroid by chromatin. On the other hand, testosterone-cytoplasmic receptor complex is able to associate with chromatin at 0 degrees. Chromatin did not bind free 3H-testosterone under these conditions. The existence of the receptor for testosterone in endometrial cells promoting its transport into the nucleus and binding with chromatin corroborates the previously shown specific action of testosterone on messenger RNA biogenesis in the uterus. Polyinductor model of regulation of gene expression in higher organisms by steroid hormones is discussed.


Cyclic AMP in developing muscle of the rhesus monkey: effect of prostaglandin E.

Cyclic AMP levels, measured by a competitive protein-binding assay and by a prelabeling technique with adenine-14 C, were determined on fetal, infant, and adult heart, diaphragm, and skeletal muscle of the rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta); the effect of PGE on cyclic AMP accumulation was also studied. The levels of cyclic AMP were higher in the 3 types of muscle from 150-day fetuses (91% of term) than in adult muscles and even higher at 78-100 days fetal age, and histological evidence indicated that by 65 days gestation, the majority of the rhesus skeletal muscle cells are in the myotube stage. These data agree with the observation in cell cultures that a decrease in cyclic AMP is correlated with fusion of myoblasts to form myotubes. PGE (2.8 MUM) stimulated cyclic AMP accumulation in all the fetal series, even in the earliest series (47% of term), as well as in all the adult series.


[The relationship between cholesterol, shpingomyelin and phosphatidyl choline in liver and hepatoma cell membranes].

The cholesterol, sphingomyelin and phosphatidylcholine content in different cell membranes of liver and hepatoma was studied. Significant amounts of cholesterol were found in all the subcellular fractions of hepatoma, whereas in the liver cholesterol is localized mainly in the plasma membranes. A direct relation between the content of cholesterol and sphingomyelin was demonstrated. Possible effects of the cholesterol : : sphingomyelin : phosphatidylcholine ratio on the properties of cell membranes are discussed.


[Control of glutamate dehydrogenase activity in isolated rat liver mitochondria by purine nucleotides, cyclic AMP, alpha-ketoglutarate and phosphate].

Glutamate oxidation by mitochondria in the presence of arsenite and dinitrophenol is diminished by ADP, AMP, GDP and cyclic 3',5'-AMP. Mechanism of inhibition is noncompetitive and atractyloside-sensitive. Alpha-ketoglutarate is a more powerful inhibitor of glutamate oxidation. Inhibitions produced by alpha-ketoglutarate and nucleotide are not additive. Phosphate reverses inhibition of glutamate oxidation produced by nucleotides but only slightly that produced by alpha-ketoglutarate. It is concluded from the results obtained that GDH remains in intact mitochondria under effective control exerted by purine nucleotides (AMP, GDP, ADP, cAMP), alpha-ketoglutarate and phosphate, functioning mainly in the direction of reductive amination of alpha-ketoglutarate.


[The synchronizing effect of cyclic 3',5'-adenosine monophosphate on the mitotic cycle of Ehrlich ascitic carcinoma cells].

A study was made of the number of mitoses and of the DNA-synthesizing cells in the ascitic Ehrlich carcinoma in the course of 24 hours after the injection of cyclic 3',5'-adenosinmonophosphate to mice. It was found that as the result of the preprrophase inhibition and, possibly, of stimulation of the cell entry into the S-phase, 8 hours after the action a great number of cells began to divide almost simultaneously. The effect of mitosis synchronization was assessed in the tumour cell population.


[Nuclear estradiol receptors in several "non-target" organs of rats].

Some properties of the macromolecules of the KCl-extracts of the nuclei of the uterus, kidney, liver, testis and prostate, specifically binding estradiol (E2), were studied. These macromolecules of the uterus and the liver were found to be maximally extracted from chromatin by the 0.6 M KCl concentration. The capacity of the macromolecules of the uterine, kidney and liver nuclear extracts to bind E2 specifically is destroyed completely by pronase, but not by RNA-ASe and DNA-ase, pointing to the protein nature of these macromolecules. Only estrogenic compounds, but not testosterone, 5alpha-dihydrotestosterone, progesterone or corticosterone were capable to compete with H3--E2 for the E2--binding sites of the macromolecules of the nuclear extracts of all the organs investigaeted. It is assumed that macromolecules of the nuclei of the investigated nontarget organs specifically binding E2 are estrogen receptors.


Occurrence and function of cyclic nucleotides in blood vessels.

The literature concerned with studies of the occurrence and function of the cyclic nucleotides in blood vessels is reviewed. Emphasis is placed on the critical evaluation of the evidence which relates to the hypothesis that cyclic nucleotides meditate the effects of drugs and neurotransmitters on vascular contractility. The hypothesis that cyclic AMP mediates vasodilation, especially that induced by beta-adrenergic relaxation, is supported by many experimental approaches, but it is concluded that the evidence remains unconvincing based on the criteria established for such a mediator role. Possible sites of action of cyclic AMP are discussed. The demonstrated action of cyclic AMP on vascular membrane electrophysiology and calcium ion pumps are reviewed as possible causes of relaxation. The role of both nucleotides in vascular disease, especially hypertension is discussed. Finally the needs for further research in this area are suggested.


The effects of lithium ions on the antidiuretic action of vasopressin in the rat.

1 The effect of intravenous infusion of lithium, 2.56 mumol/min on the antidiuretic responses to antidiuretic hormone (ADH), adenosine triphosphate (ATP), 3'-5' adenosine cylic monophosphate (cyclic AMP) and theophyline was studied in water-loaded, alcohol-anaesthetized rats. 2 Lithium reversibly inhibits the antidiuretic response to all concentrations of ADH, depressing the maximum response but not changing the amount required for half maximal response. 3 The rate of increase of serum lithium relates more clearly to the inhibitory effect than does the serum concentration. 4 Sodium concentrations in the renal papilla seem to fall when serum lithium levels are rising. 5 Lithium inhibits the antidiuretic response to ATP and cyclic AMP but does not inhibit the response to theophyline.


[Cytology of various rare benign tumors of the breast].

The authors describe the cytological appearances of three rare benign mammary tumors (granular cell myoblastoma, sebaceous cyst and fibrous histiocytoma), and warn the clinician against over-optimism when presented with a benign cytologic diagnosis. In fact, the proportion of cases in which carcinoma is confused with  a benign tumour varies from 3 to 5% according to statistics. They analyse the various causes responsible for the "false benign" diagnosis. The author's opinion is that one can only arrive at the cytological diagnosis of benignity as part of a group of investigations. Final diagnosis must depend upon a histological examination.


[Immunologic results obtained with an experimental system oftransplantable colonic tumors. Possible applications of these results to human intestinal tumors].

Intestinal cancers, morphologically very close to human colo-rectal adeno-carcinoma, have been induced by dimethylhydrazine in inbred rats. Graftable lines have been obtained from 5 primary intestinal tumors, and 3 cell lines have been cultivated from the grafts. This model was used to demonstrate carcinofetal antigen(s) on the surface of the intestinal cancer cells. Circulating antibodies against tumor-associated antigen(s) have been found in tumor-bearing rats. Cancer enhancement was regularly observed when specific (tumor cells) and non-specific (B.C.G.) immunologic treatments were used to prevent or cure rat intestinal tumors. These results suggest that immunotherapy of human colo-rectal cancer might be hazardous.


Short ACTH test in assessing hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical function.

The adrenocortical response to the simple 30-minute ACTH stimulation test was compared with the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) response to insulin-induced hypoglycaemia in 25 patients with various degrees of hypothalamic-pituitary malfunction. The correlations between the increase in plasma cortisol during insulin hypoglycaemia and that during ACTH stimulation (r = 0-66) and between peak plasma cortisol levels during the two tests (r = 0-90) were highly significant. Peak plasma cortisol levels in individual patients were similar on both tests, no patient showing any major discrepancy between the two test results. Thus the simple 30-minute ACTH stimulation test seems to be reliable in detecting imparied HPA function.


Inpatients in an accident unit.

A one-year prospective study was undertaken in the 79-bed accident unit of the Bristol Royal Infirmary to define reasons for continuing inpatient care. This showed that, of a consecutive series of 466 patients staying in hospital for over two weeks, 35% lengthened their stay beyond that needed for acute nursing or continued medical care. A combination of factors usually led to total social dependence, the major problem being the absence of a caring relative. Other factors included pre-existing locomotor disorder or mental infirmity, unmanageable incontinence of urine after catheterisation, and institutional disorientation. If the pattern of management of elderly patients after injury is not changed and beds are to be kept available for the newly injured the unit will need about 50 new long-stay beds each year.


A two-pathway informon theory of conditioning and adaptive pattern recognition.

A neural network theory is proposed which offers an explanation of many of the facts of classical and operant conditioning and adaptive pattern recognition. Interconnected networks of units have been studied and simulated which embody only two rules; firstly, units have inputs from pathways of variable and of fixed conductivity; secondly, the conductivity of a variable pathway is made proportional to the negative of the mutual information function between the signals at its input and output. The signal in a fixed pathway indicates whether the total input to the variable pathways is a member or not of some class. After a learning phase in which the unit, called an informon, receives such labelled inputs, it is able to predict the class of future unlabelled inputs. Such units are stable and their steady state can be calculated.


Simulation studies of learning in an informon network.

A single informon reproduces classical conditioning to compound stimuli under a wide range of conditions during reinforcement and non-reinforcement; it also reproduces simple operant conditioning. A network of 210 informons with 8400 simultaneouslly varying pathways has been simulated; it can learn to recognize handprinted numerals. The networks studied must be more richly interconnected before they can reproduce more detailed behaviour of animals.


Neurophysiological predictions of a two-pathway informon theory of neural conditioning.

According to the informon theory there must be variable and fixed synapses in a neurone for conditioning to occur. For a variable synapse to behave like an informon pathway its conductivity needs to depend only on the average values of its presynaptic potential and of the internal state of the neurone. Eight predictions are made about the detailed functioning of such a synapse. In a minimal hypothesis all fixed synapses are inhibitory; but sign reversals are considered. Let one unit A in the receptive field of a neurone drive it through a fixed synapse, and all other units, e.g. B, drive variable synapses; then the theory predicts that the conductivity of the B synapse becomes proportional to the mutual information function between the signals at A and B; so inputs which tend to occur with the A signal become connected positively to the neurone. Applied to visual pathways this principle leads to the formation of edge and grating detectors. If X and Y cells excite variable and fixed synapses respectively, simple and complex cells should be driven by both X and Y cells, the latter being inhibitory. The two-pathway theory resolves two apparent conflicts between experimental facts.


[Ultrastructural study of secondary cultures of rat aorta. Cellular aspects].

Cells obtained from the media and intima of ten days rat aorta, after enzymatic dissociation, were grown in subculture for up to three months. Electron microscopic observations demonstrate that these cells maintained the morphology of smooth muscle cells at all phases of their growth in subculture and kept their ability to synthesize and secrete intracellular proteins with better enzymatic features than the cells obtained by proliferation at the periphery of an explant.


[Organotype culture of glandular tissue of the testis of Gabius niger L. Association with hypophysis].

The endocrine gland of the testis of Gobius niger L. was cultured separately for three or six days by dissecting out from the seminal mass. During the sexual resting periode, the explantation don't induce histological changes; however, during the phase of high sexual activity, the explantation involves marked asthenic signs. This phenomenon is in all cases reversed by the association with pituitaries, even after a preliminary isolated culture of three days. The association with pituitaries increases also the functional activity of the explants compared with the controls tested by measuring the total amount of testosterone contained in pooled culture media, or the global metabolism of 14C sodium acetate.


[Enzyme alterations of the arterial wall following the combination of a lathyrogenic treatment and of moderate hypercholesterolemia in the young rabbit].

To determinate the part of humoural and parietal factors in atherosclerotic injury genesis, metabolism alteration study is realised on aortic cell wall of rabbits which are submitted to a chronical lathyritic intoxication alone, or simultaneously or alternatively associated with a cholesterolemic diet. Catabolic activity increase of beta-glucuronidase occurs in hypercholesterolemic rabbits. Beta-aminoproprionitrile, lathyrogenic drug used, stimulates biosynthetic pathways: increase of soluble proteins, energetic enzyme activities (lacticodeshydrogenase, malicodeshydrogenase), conjonctival protein metabolism (procollagen lysyl hydroxylase); in the same time, cell wall disturbances and lipidic deposits are facilitate when rabbits are submitted to cholesterolemic diet.


[Concentration of viruses in water by the 2 phase polymer method: quantitative study].

The authors attempt to determine the sensibility of polymer two phases system applied to the concentration of viruses from water. They show that this technic agrees to the research of poliomyelitic viruses in waters since viral recuperation is always upper than 74.5%. Besides, they notice that average percentages of regained viruses are always 100% where the initial concentrations of viruses are 10(2) or 10(3) per liter; on the other hand if the initial concentration is higher the yield of this method is decreasing.


[Existence of cytoplasmic inclusions in acinic cells of the exocrine pancreas of the hyperglycemic obese mouse].

Peculiar cytoplasmic inclusions with crystalline pattern are described in the obese hyperglycaemic mouse pancreas acinar cells. They are generally associated with filamentous structures. However, crystalline and filamentous inclusions have also been observed in isolated forms. These inclusions are not digested by pronase. Since they have also been encountered in normal mice, it seems that the hyperglycaemic syndrome does not play a role in inducing their formation.


[Intracellular processes leading to the induction of insulin membrane receptors. Study on Acetabularia mediterranea].

Algal cells have been incubated for 7 to 10 days in darkness in sea water containing either actinomycin D or cycloheximide (10 mug/ml) or fructose glucose (5.5 mM). Measurements of insulin fixation to whole cells, plasma membranes or cytosol fractions after that treatment indicate that dark consumption of chloroplastic fructosans stored in photosynthetic conditions would lead to a "signal" inducing translation and transcription of nuclear DNA genetic message resulting in an increase of the number of insulin cellular receptor sites.


[Mesentery capillary barrier in rats injected intravascularly with ascitic Zajdela hepatoma. III. Effect of serotonin and histamine on the extravasation of the tumor].

The addition of serotonin or of histamin with tumoral cells of ascitic Zajdela's hepatoma and their injection in aorta induce plain hemodynamic changes and increase the tumoral extravasation. So only cells blocked in thrombi are observed in blood vessels. Therefore, serotonin and histamin do facilitate tumoral cells extravasation, allowing so a better metastatic diffusion in this experimental pattern.


Transplantable colon tumors as chemotherapy screening models.

A series of transplantable murine colon tumors have been developed from primary tumors induced by dimethylhydrazine. They are moderately- to well-differentiated adenocarcinomas which retain their histologic appearance and growth characteristics through successive transplant generations. The sensitivity of two tumor lines to 11 standard drugs is reported and some correlation shown with the sensitivity of human colorectal tumors to the same drugs. Therapeutic  indices are low and each tumor has an individual pattern of sensitivity. The models have potential as secondary drug screening systems and for investigation of factors affecting drug sensitivity.


The chemistry of carcinoembryonic antigen.

The structure of carcinoembryonic antigen is being determined as an approach to greater diagnostic specificity in the radioimmune assay. Examination by combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry of derivatized saccharides from CEA has given a general outline of its carbohydrate structure. Sialic acid and fucose were completely destroyed, and galactose and mannose were partially destroyed by a single periodate treatment. Serial periodate oxidation (Smith degradation) destroyed additional amounts of galactose and mannose, as well as significant amounts of N-acetylglucosamine. Antigenic activity persisted, indicating that the residues destroyed played little, if any, part in the antigenicity of DEA.


Correlation of tumor burden with in vitro lymphocyte reactivity and antibodies to herpesvirus tumor-associated antigens in head and neck squamous carcinoma.

In 94 patients with squamous carcinoma of the head and neck region, the clinical extent of tumor was correlated with in vitro lymphocyte reactivity (LR) to phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and serum complement-fixing antibodies to herpes simplex virus (HSV)-induced tumor-associated antigen (TAA). Forty-six patients were tumor-bearing and 48 were considered cured. Controls were 41 age-matched normals with histories of similar cigarette consumption. In 15 patients with Stage I carcinomas of the larynx, among whom the tumor diameter was 5 mm or less, mean LR or PHA did not differ from controls and 7 of 11 tested (63%) had antibodies to HSV-TAA. In 83 patients with more extensive tumors, LR to PHA was significantly lower than controls and 42 of 44 tested (95%) had antibodies to HSV-TAA. In both groups, LR to PHA was similar among tumor-bearing and cured patients. The study delineates a clinical tumor burden associated with impaired LR to PHA and a high incidence of antibodies to HSV-TAA in patients with squamous carcinomas of the head and neck region, and shows a correlation between the immune defects in clinically cured patients and tumor extent prior to treatment.


Cytoplasmic tubular arrays in cells of American Burkitt's type lymphoma.

Aggregates of tubular arrays associated with cysternae of endoplasmic reticulum were observed in untreated primary American form Burkitt's lymphoma. The tumor occurred in a white female child who died with severe central nervous system (CNS) involvement. Although the significance of the tubular structures and the mechanism by which they are formed remains unknown, the predilection of these structures for lymphoid and reticuloendothelial cells and their frequent association with either viral or suspected viral conditions cannot be overlooked. However, it is possible that the tubular structures may reflect an increased production of antibody protein in response to a viral antigen.


Ultrastructure of elastosis in scirrhous carcinoma of the breast.

The stroma of scirrhous breast carcinoma frequently contains an abundance of material with the histologic staining properties of elastic tissue referred to as elastosis. In the present study, this lesion was found to correspond at the ultrastructural level to elastic fibers of various sizes and random orientation. These fibers displayed the two characteristic components, consisting of an amorphous core with a peripheral mantle of microfibrils. Interspersed among the elastic fibers were modified fibroblasts. These cells exhibited an irregular contour with numerous cytoplasmic processes and indentations. Their cytoplasm contained abundant rough endoplasmic reticulum, prominent Golgi complexes, and bundles of filaments. In the extracellular space, elastic fibers were often closely apposed to the plasma membrane of the fibroblasts. Carcinoma cells were also observed in the elastic tissue. It is postulated that fibroblasts, probably under an inductive influence from cancer cells, are the cells responsible for elastic production.


An ultrastructural study of nine thymomas.

Nine thymomas, a normal adult thymus, and tissue culture of one thymoma were studied ultrastructurally. The histologic types of thymoma included lymphocytic, epithelial, mixed and spindle cell varieties. Two of the tumors were invasive and one was associated with myasthenia gravis. Despite the histologic dissimilarities, the complex anatomic interrelationships involving lymphocytes, epithelial cells, and blood vessels as seen in the thymus tended to be preserved in all but one of the thymomas. The exception was the spindle-cell thymoma which contained only rare lymphocytes and simpler vascular structures. The findings include variations in the frequency of demosomes and cytoplasmic fibrils of the epithelial cells, the occasional presence of lymphocytes within the laminated venules, and the unusual finding of a gland-like structure in one of the tumors. Correlations between ultrastructural changes and clinical behavior could not be made.


Ultrastructural study of the pineal germinoma in vivo and in vitro.

The fine structure of a pineal germinoma was studied in tissue blocks and in tissue culture. The original tumor contained large primary tumor cells, lymphocytes, macrophages, plasma cells, and astrocytes. The large primary tumor cells were characterized by large nuclei, relatively scanty organelles, abundant glycogen, and junctional complexes. The neoplasm grew well in vitro and, with the exception of plasma cells, contained the same cell types found in vivo. The ultrastructural characteristics of the cells in vivo and in vitro were similar. In culture there were few large primary tumor cells. Macrophages, often involved in active phagocytosis, were prominent in the original tumor and were the most common cell type found in vitro. A tumor-associated immune response is postulated in this neoplasm.


Elastogenesis in adenomatoid tumor: histochemical and ultrastructural observations.

An adenomatoid tumor from the round ligament of a 50-year-old woman was studied by light and electron microscopy. Ultrastructurally the tumor was remarkably similar to normal as well as neoplastic mesothelium, thus lending further support to the concept of a mesothelial origin of adenomatoid tumors. Comparative histochemical and ultrastructural studies revealed presence of acid mucopolysaccharides mainly along the luminal borders of the tumor cells, thus indicating likely production of this material by the tumor cells as opposed to the stromal cells. The stroma was rich in elastic fibers and there was evidence of active elastogenesis. This paper represents the first unequivocal demonstration of elastogenesis in an adenomatoid tumor.


Gastric carcinoid with ectopic production of ACTH and beta-MSH.

A 51-year-old woman with typical Cushing's syndrome of about 9 years duration was shown to have a gastric carcinoid tumor. Plasma levels of ACTH and cortisol were elevated and lacked the normal diurnal rhythm. Urinary excretion of steroids was unaffected by the administration of either metyrapone or dexamethasone. Fluctuation in urinary steroid excretion, as well as transient hypokalemic alkalosis and glycosuria suggested periodic hormonogenesis. The extirpated gastric carcinoid was shown to contain immunoreactive ACTH and beta-MSH. However, the biologic ACTH activity was undetectable by in vivo steroidogenic assay. By gel filtration, it was demonstrated that both tumor and plasma ACTH was predominately "big" ACTH. Although postoperatively she developed hypoadrenocorticism severe enough to require ACTH treatment, her pituitary-adrenal function was gradually restored. This is the first documented case of ectopic ACTH syndrome caused by gastric carcinoid in which successful cure was achieved by surgery.


Congenital anomalies in children with Wilms' tumor: a new survey.

From 68 hospitals in the National Wilms' Tumor Study, records of 547 patients showed six patients with aniridia, 16 with hemihypertrophy, and 24 with genitourinary abnormalities. Multiple cases of Wilms' tumor occurred in three families. The results confirm high frequencies of aniridia and genitourinary anomalies in patients with Wilms' tumor, and show that concurrence with hemihypertrophy may be more often recognized or recorded now than it was ten years ago. The results demonstrate the desirability of developing checklists for other childhood neoplasms some of which have their own constellation of anomalies.


Peptide hormones as tumor markers.

Ectopic production and secretion of hormones by a wide variety of tumors were initially recognized by signs and symptoms of excess circulating biologically active hormone. With the development of more sophisticated and sensitive techniques, it has become apparent that not all tumors secrete biologically active hormones. Some altered forms of polypeptide hormones may be in very high concentrations immunologically but be inactive biologically. On the other hand, polypeptide hormones may circulate at concentrations too low to induce clinical signs and symptoms. Consequently, new ectopic humoral syndromes have been recognized and the incidence of previously described syndromes has become considerably greater than previously recognized. Every hormone known to be normally secreted by endocrine organs or the placenta has been documented to be secreted ectopically by a wide variety of tumors. Moreover, several of those hormones may be used as biochemical markers of malignancy for both screening and monitoring of patients with documented or suspected tumors.


Induction of liver tumors by aflatoxin B1 in the tree shrew (Tupaia glis), a nonhuman primate.

The epidemiological studies suggest that aflatoxins, the toxic metabolites of the ubiquitous mold Aspergillus flavus, may play a significant role in the evolution of hepatocellular carcinoma in man in certain geographic areas of the world. To ascertain their carcinogenicity in nonhuman primates, we have administered highly purified aflatoxin B1, intermittently in the diet at 2 ppm, to 10 female and 8 male tree shrews. The tree shrew (Tupaia glis) is a nonhuman primate occurring throughout Southeast Asia which can be reared easily in captivity. Of 12 animals that survived, 6 of 6 female (100%) and 3 of 6 male (50%) tree shrews developed hepatocellular carcinomas between 74 and 172 weeks after the beginning of the experiment. None of the 8 control animals developed liver cancers. The estimated total amount of aflatoxin B1 consumed by these animals ranged from 24 to 66 mg. The development of liver tumors did not follow a specific pattern; considerable variation in hepatocellular responses to aflatoxin B1 was noted in these animals. In 2 tree shrews, the liver tumors were associated with severe post necrotic scarring; in the other 7 tumor-bearing livers, only mild to moderate portal fibrosis was encountered. This individual variation in hepatocellular response and in the amount of aflatoxin B1 required to induce hepatocellular carcinomas is attributed to inherent differences in the susceptibility within a given species of outbred animals and suggests extreme caution in proposing the "permissible" or "safe" levels of contamination of carcinogens in the food-stuffs.


C-type virus particles in urethan-induced pulmonary and renal carcinomas, in cell-graft-transmitted carcinosarcomas, and in filtrate-induced lymphomas in mice.

Repeated injections of urethan into suckling BALB/c mice induced multiple papillary adenocarcinomas in the lungs and kidneys. When the pulmonary tumors were transplanted i.p. by cell graft into 6 suckling BALB/c mice, they induced disseminated carcinosarcomas within the peritoneal cavity in all inoculated animals. Tumors resulting from the transplantation of tumor cells were used for preparation of filtered extracts. The filtrates were inoculated into 6 suckling BALB/c mice and induced generalized malignant lymphomas in all animals. The primary urethan-induced pulmonary and renal tumors, the carcinosarcomas that resulted from i.p. cell transfer, and also the generalized malignant lymphomas induced by inoculation of filtered extracts contained C-type virus particles. Theoretically, it could be assumed that both the primary urethan-induced pulmonary and renal tumors, as well as the cell-graft-induced peritoneal carcinosarcomas, contained the C-type virus particles as passengers, not necessarily related etiologically to the tumors in which they were found. It is quite likely, however, that these virus particles were etiologically related to the filtrate-induced malignant lymphomas in which they were also found.


Distribution of viral glycoprotein gp 69/71 on cell surfaces of producer and nonproducer cells.

The distribution of the viral glycoprotein, gp 69/71, was studied on the cell surfaces of virus-producing and nonproducing cells. gp 69/71 was distributed evenly on cell membranes and on viral membranes of cells producing murine leukemia virus. gp 69/71 was distributed uniformly on cell membranes of thymocytes from NZB and strain 129 mice but was not detected on cell membranes of BALB/c thymocytes. Viral particles were associated with NZB and BALB/c thymocytes but were not in or on 129 thymocytes. We conclude that the presence of gp 69/71 on thymocyte membranes is not related to virus production. In the strains showing gp 69/71 on their thymocyte surfaces (NZB and 129), a large percentage of the thymocytes are positively labeled, all more or less equally. Immunochemical analysis of cell surface proteins labeled with 125I corroborated the ultrastructural observations. Thus, gp 69/71 can be expressed on the surface of thymocytes independently of virus particle production.


Generation and compensation of the cancer cachectic process by spontaneous modification of feeding behavior.

Daily food intake and corresponding feeding activity (measured as duration) and feeding efficiency (amount of food ingested per unit of feeding activity) were measured both in normal Sprague-Dawley and Buffalo rats and during growth of Walker 256 and 4M mammary carcinomas in Sprague-Dawley rats and of Morris 5123 hepatoma in Buffalo rats. Estimates of meal size and frequency were also obtained. Growth of the carcinomas produced a decline in feeding activity accompanied, early in tumor growth, by a compensatory increase in feeding efficiency with no resultant effect on food intake. This compensated decline in feeding activity was due to reduction in average meal duration. Later, meal frequency was also reduced, with further reduction in feeding activity and reduction in food intake. There was little change in average meal size. The hepatoma produced a different detailed pattern of effect on feeding behavior. These effects are not nonspecific reactions to foreign tissue. The effects imply behavioral compensation for the breakdown of a rapidly responding physiological control of food intake and can be interpreted in terms of successive impairment of feeding control mechanisms that have different response rates and different behavioral modes.


Characterization of growth properties and demonstration of the tumor-specific transplantation antigens of Morris hepatomas.

The growth properties of single-tumor-cell suspensions prepared by enzymatic digestion of solid tumors from Morris hepatomas 7777, 5123tc, and 3924a and the presence of tumor-specific transplantation antigen for tumor lines 7777 and 3924a were described. Two of the tumor cell lines (7777 and 3924a) showed consistent i.m. tumor growth following the inoculation of 1 x 10(5) tumor cells, and a similar dose of 5123tc tumor cells resulted in inconsistent tumor growth. Two of the tumor lines (5123tc and 7777) were associated with rapid appearance of lung metastases, whereas with line 3924a metastatic lung lesions rarely developed despite its rapid i.m. tumor growth rate. Tumor resistance to rechallenge with a threshold inoculum of tumor cells was present in approximately 15 to 50% of the animals following amputation of an existing tumor mass. Resistance to a challenge tumor cell inoculum could also be accomplished by immunization with irradiated tumor cells. Tumor-specific resistance was demonstrated to tumor line 3924a in that "immune" animals were able to resist a challenge with 3924a tumor cells but did not resist a challenge with tumor line 9098.


Altered microfilament structure in cells transformed with a temperature-sensitive transformation mutant of murine sarcoma virus.

The structure and distribution of microfilaments were examined by electron microscopy in uninfected normal rat kidney (NRK) cells, murine sarcoma virus (MSV)-transformed NRK cells, and NRK cells infected with a cold-sensitive transformation mutant of MSV, i.e., NRK (MSV-1b) cells, grown at both permissive (39 degrees) and nonpermissive (33 degrees) temperature. The uninfected cells contained numerous microfilaments which were especially prominent at sites of intercellular adherens junctions. In contrast, the MSV-transformed cells contained few microfilaments and did not form adherens junctions. At 33 degrees, the NRK (MSV-1b) cells appeared normal but formed an altered form of adherens junction with disorganized microfilaments. At 39 degrees, these cells resembled NRK cells transformed by wild-type MSV but still formed a few of the altered type of adherens junctions. Disorganized adherens junction microfilaments were also found in cells newly infected with wild-type MSV. These results suggest that the perturbed assembly of microfilaments at adherens junctions may be an intermediate stage in the loss of adherens junctions during viral transformation.


Effect of neuraminidase and papain treatment on lectin-induced agglutination of Novikoff tumor cells and assay of lectin receptor activity of the glycopeptides released from the cell surface by papain.

Lectins, plant proteins that bind specific saccharide determinants, have been utilized to examine the effect of neuraminidase digestion on the structure and/or expression of oligosaccharide moieties present at the periphery of Novikoff ascites hepatoma cells. Five lectins were utilized: concanavalin A (Con A), specific for alpha-D-manno- or alpha-D-glucopyranosyl residues; wheat germ agglutinin, specific for 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-glucopyranosyl residues; Ricinus communis agglutinin I (RCAI), specific for D-glucopyranosyl residues; R. communis agglutinin II (RCAII), specific for D-galacto- or 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-galactopyranosyl residues; and soybean agglutinin, specific for 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-galactopyranosyl residues. Neuraminidase treatment of Novikoff cells did not alter their agglutination by Con A or wheat germ agglutinin. Similar treatment produced only a 2-fold increase in their agglutination by RCAI but a 12-fold increase in their agglutination by RCAII, indicating that 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-galactopyranosyl residues become expressed upon neuraminidase treatment. This conclusion was confirmed by the observation that neuraminidase-treated Novikoff cells acquired agglutinability by soybean agglutinin. Binding studies using ferritin-conjugated RCAII indicated that neuraminidase treatment exposed cryptic cell surface receptors for RCAII. To ascertain the role of cell surface glycoproteins in lectin-induced agglutination of Novikoff cells, glycopeptides cleaved from the cell surface by papain were assayed for lectin receptor activity. The cell surface glycopeptides exhibited receptor activity for Con A, wheat germ agglutinin and RCAI but not for RCAII and soybean agglutinin. A cell surface macrosialoglycopeptide fraction, resolved by gel filtration and ion-exchange chromatography, possessed a major portion of the Con A and RCAI receptor activity.


Breakage of human cell DNA after exposure to 3-methylcholanthrene-11,12-oxide.

Damage to and repair of DNA isolated from human neonatal and fetal skin cells were measured by alkaline sucrose gradient analysis. 3-Methylcholanthrene did not induce single-strand breaks in DNA of the cells in culture, whereas the 11,12-oxide of 3-methylcholanthrene was very effective in this regard. The cis-1,2-dihydroxy, trans-11,12-dihydroxy, and cis-11,12-dihydroxy derivatives of 3-methylcholanthrene exerted little effect. The breaks in DNA caused by 3-methylcholanthrene oxide occurred during a 60-min incubation period and were repaired during the following 60 min. Methylmethane sulfonate also induced breaks in the DNA within 60 min.


Kinetic and regulatory properties of pyruvate dehydrogenase from Ehrlich ascites tumor cells.

Pyruvate dehydrogenase was partially purified from Ehrlich ascites tumor cell mitochondria and its kinetic properties were determined. The apparent KM values for pyruvate, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, and coenzyme A (CoA) were 46 muM, 110 muM, and 36 muM, respectively. Reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide and acetyl-CoA inhibited enzyme activity competitively to nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (Ki = 22 muM) and CoA (Ki = 58 muM), respectively. Copurified alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase displayed apparent KM values for alpha-ketoglutarate, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, and CoA of 1.25 mM, 67 muM, and 50 muM, respectively. Pyruvate dehydrogenase, but not alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase, was inactivated specifically by adenosine triphosphate with concomitant phosphorylation, and it was reactivated at 10 mM Mg2+ by a protein fraction separated from the complex during purification. The rate of inactivation was decreased by pyruvate or pyrophosphate. The existence of active and inactive forms of pyruvate dehydrogenase in Ehrlich ascites tumor cells was demonstrated. Active form and total activity were determined to be 74.0 +/- 1.5 and 93.6 +/- 4.9 munits/g packed cells (mean +/- S.E., n = 25), respectively.


Cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases in neoplastic and nonneoplastic human mammary tissues.

Cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase activity was studied in 33 malignant neoplastic, 2 benign neoplastic, and 18 nonneoplastic human mammary tissues. Enzyme activity, using both cyclic adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate and cyclic guanosine 3':5'-monosphosphate as substrates, was measured in whole homogenates over a concentration range of 1 to 100 muM. Specific activity was calculated at substrate concentrations of 1 muM (low KM enzyme activity) and 100 muM (high KM activity). Diethylaminoethyl cellulose chromatography was used to separate the different enzyme species. The malignant neoplastic tissues had higher levels of both low-KM cyclic adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate and low-KM cyclic guanosine 3':5'-monophosphate phosphodiesterases. Further, the mean value of the ratio of low-km cyclic adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate to low-KM cyclic guanosine 3':5'-monophosphate activity was higher for the cancer tissues than for the nonneoplastic tissues. Diethylaminoethyl cellulose chromatography indicated the presence of three enzymes in both neoplastic and nonneoplastic mammary tissue. The kinetic as well as regulatory properties of the separated enzymes indicated that they are distinct enzyme activities. The phosphodiesterase properties were similar for neoplastic and nonneoplastic tissues and resembled those described previously in many other mammalian tissues. While both neoplastic and nonneoplastic tissues had detectable levels of the protein activator for phosphodiesterase, the cancer tissues appeared to have a higher level.


Croton oil- and benzo(a)pyrene-induced changes in cyclic adenosine  3':5'-monophosphate and cyclic guanosine 3':5'-monophosphate phosphodiesterase activities in mouse epidermis.

The topical application of croton oil, benzo(a)pyrene, acetic acid, and 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate to mouse skin caused an increase in the activity of epidermal low-affinity cyclic adenosine 3':5'-monophosphate (cyclic AMP) phosphodiesterase. The increase was most pronounced with croton oil, began between 4 and 6 hr after application of this material, and was maintained for at least 48 hr. The activity of cyclic guanosine 3':5'-monophosphate phosphodiesterase was also increased by treatment with croton oil or 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate, but detailed time courses were not obtained. Increased activity was observed in both the soluble fractions and the washed particulate fractions of epidermis. Fractionation of soluble extracts from acetone-treated epidermis on DEAE-cellulose columns showed the presence of enzymes with specificity for both cyclic AMP and cyclic guanosine 3':5'-monophosphate, together with a peak catalyzing the hydrolysis of both cyclic AMP and cyclic guanosine 3':5'-monophosphate. The activity of this latter nonspecific activity was selectively increased following treatment with croton oil. The increase in cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase activity was partially abolished by multiple injections of cycloheximide, suggesting that new protein synthesis was involved. Injection of the alpha-receptor antagonist phentolamine abolished a croton oil-induced rise in epidermal cyclic AMP levels and decreased the induction of cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase activity. From these results it was concluded that the increase in enzyme activity was induced by cyclic AMP.


Limitations and utility of a cytolytic assay for measuring simian virus 40-induced cell surface antigens.

Antisera were produced against an SV40-transformed cell line in the syngeneic AL/N mouse. With a microcytolytic assay, the specificity of antisera produced by various immunization schedules and their ability to lyse numerous SV40-transformed cell lines were determined. Various AL/N mouse cell lines, newly transformed by SV40 and cloned, were found to be lysed by the antisera. When tumors were induced by SV40-transformed cells in the syngeneic mouse and cell lines were reestablished from tumors and such procedures were repeated, the susceptibility to serum-mediated cytolysis of the sublines was the same as that of the original SV40-transformed cell line, in spite of differences in tumorigenicity. Polyoma virus-transformed AL/N cell lines were also lysed while AL/N embryo cells, untransformed by SV40 or by polyoma, were not. SV40-transformed T-antigen-positive BALB/c mouse or hamster cell lines or a T-antigen-positive tissue cultured human cell were also resistant to lysis. A competition type of microassay demonstrated specific inhibition of the serum-mediated cytolysis by all of the SV40 T-antigen-positive cell lines tested. Thus, the lack of lysis of cells did not necessarily indicate the absence of SV40-induced surface antigens. The polyoma-transformed AL/N cell line also inhibited the antisera, but to a lesser extent, suggesting the possibility that SV40 and polyoma virus transformation may result in the appearance of partially common cell surface antigens.


Brain tissue transplanted to the anterior chamber of the eye. 4. Drug-modulated transmitter release in central monoamine nerve terminals lacking normal postsynaptic receptors.

Small pieces of fetal rat brain selected to contain a high number of noradrenaline (NA), dopamine (DA), or 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) neuroblasts were transplanted to the anterior chamber of the eye of adult rats. The sympathetic ground plexus of the host iris was removed by superior cervical ganglionectomy so that transmitter mechanisms of the different central monoamine fibers innervating the iris could be selectively studied after intraocular maturation. Such irides, containing NA, DA, or 5-HT nerve terminals were incubated with radiolabelled transmitters and then stimulated by an electrical field while superfused, to investigate the spontaneous and stimulation-induced release of amine, both in drug-free buffer and buffer containing drugs acting on monoamine receptors. The central monoamine neurons of all three types were able to take up exogenous amines and release them upon stimulation by an electrical field, in much the same way as corresponding nerves in situ in slices of cerebral cortex (NA, 5-HT) or olfactory tubercle (DA). The alpha-adrenergic receptor blocking agent phentolamine increased the stimulation-induced release of 3H-NA from central NA fibers on the iris significantly. The dopamine receptor stimulating agent apomorphine decreased the stimulation-induced release of 3H-DA from central DA fibers on the iris. Pimozide, a DA receptor blocking drug tended to increase the 3H-DA release. The 5-HT receptor stimulating agent ergocornine tended to reduce the stimulation-induced release of 3H-5-HT from central 5-HT fibers on the iris. It was concluded that all three types of central monoamine nerve fibers develop essentially normal transmitter storage and release mechanisms also in an environment completely devoid of normal postsynaptic receptors. The drug experiments add strong support to the view that there are presynaptic monoamine receptors ("autoreceptors") able to modulate transmitter release present on the monoamine nerve terminals.


Cerebrospinal fluid-contacting neurons, ciliated perikarya and "peptidergic" synapses in the magnocellular preoptic nucleus of teleostean fishes.

The magnocellular preoptic nucleus of fishes (Anguilla anguilla, Amiurus nebulosus, Cyprinus carpio, Carassius auratus, Ctenopharyngodon idella, Cichlasoma nigrofasciatum) has been studied by light and electron microscopy. Two kinds of neurons Were found: a) large, electron-dense, Gomori-positive cells with moderate acetylcholinesterase (AChE) positivity which contain granulated vesicles of 1400 to 2200 A (in average 1600 to 1800 A), adn b) small, strongly AChE-positive, electron-lucent neurons containing granulated vesicles of 900 to 1200 A. The nerve cells are supplied with axo-somatic and axo-dendritic synapses. These are formed by axon terminals containing either 1. synaptic vesicles of 500 A, or 2. synaptic vesicles of 500 A and dense-core vesicles of 600 to 800 A, or 3. synaptic vesicles of 600 A and granulated vesicles of up to 1100 A, or 4. synaptic vesicles of about 400 A and granulated vesicles of up to 1800 A. The presence of "peptidergic" and numerous other synapses shows the complexity of the organization and afferentation of the magnocellular preoptic nucleus. In the eel, both types of nerve cells form dendritic terminals within the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). These CSF contacting dendrites are supplied with 9 x 2 + 0 cilia. In the other species investigated, only some large neurons build up intraventricular endings. The ependymofugal process of the CSF contacting neurons enters the preoptic-neurohypophysial tract. Perikarya of both the large and the small cells may give rise to single, paired or multiple 9 x 2 + 0 cilia extending into the intercellular space. The number of CSF contacting neurons is reciprocal to the number of perikarya with intercellular cilium. These latter cells may represent modified, more differentiated forms of the CSF contacting neurons. We think that atypical cilia protruding into the intercellular space may have the same significance for the intercellular fluid as the cilia of the intraventricular dendrites of the CSF contacting neurons for the CSF.


Effect of "restricted ovulator" gene on uptake of yolk-precursor protein.

The bulk of the yolk proteins and lipoproteins constituting the yolks of mature oocytes in birds are synthesized by the liver and transported via the plasma to the oocytes where they are incorporated by micropinocytosis. Evidence is presented indicating that oocytes of hens possessing a mutation identified by Jones, Briles, and Schjeide as a "restricted ovulator gene" fail to incorporate normal amounts and proportions of low density lipoproteins, lipovitellin and possible other proteins making up the bulk of the yolk material. Plasma albumin is taken into the yolks but the other proteins synthesized by the liver for deposition within the oocytes accumulate in the plasma, attaining very high levels. The possible nature of the "lock" preventing normal deposition of the excluded yolk proteins is discussed.


New ultrastructural features on the cream hamster thyroid with special reference to the second kind of follicle.

The thyroid cells of the cream hamster, characterized by abundance of microtubules and stratification of the organelles, undergo a particular evolution when the animals grow older. These changes are characterized by an increase of the number of lysosomes which in extreme cases become so prominent that they occupy the whole cytoplasm of the cell which thus loses its organelle stratification. As in other species, cream hamster thyroid contains so-called ultimobranchial follicles made up of at least six cell types: fibrillar dark and light cells, parafollicular cells, ciliated cells, vesicular cells, and cells with myelinic inclusions. The ultrastructure of these follicles in the cream hamster represents a mixture of the ultrastructural characteristics of the same follicles encountered in the rat and the mouse thyroid. Here also mixed follicles are seen. Nevertheless vesicular cells present such abundant "secretion granules" that the question arises as to whether these follicles produce a special secretion and perhaps a new hormone. Incubation of cream hamster thyroids in the prescence of vincristine induces vanishing of microtubules, formation of paracrystalline structures, and loss of stratification  of the organelles. Although these last effects might be due to some specific toxic effect of the drug, it is suggested that the disappearing of the organelle stratification might result from a specific vincristine-induced disaggregation of the microtubules acting as a cytoskeleton.


In vitro effects of histamine liberator compound 48/80 on rat superior cervical ganglia with special regard to the small granule-containing cells.

The effect of the histamine liberator compound 48/80 on the rat superior cervical ganglia in vitro has been investigated. After incubation of the ganglia with compound 48/80: (1) ganglionic mast cells degranulate in the same manner as in other tissues; (2) cell bodies of the postganglionic neurons are not affected by compound 48/80; (3) there is evidence that ganglionic interneurons, the monoamine-containing cells are activated. The ultrastructural aspects of this process are characterized by degranulation of perikarya and accumulation of dense core vesicles in cell processes and in terminals adjacent to presynaptic membranes. These vesicles vary in size between 200-800 A in diameter. They may represent storage sites of the neuro-transmitter complexes that have undergone exocytosis. The results are discussed with special reference to models of exocytotic processes involving the adrenergic transmitter. It is concluded that monoamine-containing cells represent interneurons in sympathetic ganglia which inhibit ganglionic transmission and which are stimulated by low concentrations of compound 48/80 in vitro.


Antibody responses to a combination vaccine against Haemophilus influenzae type b, diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus.

Forty-one children were studied in order to provide information on antibody responses to H. influenzae type b polyribophosphate (PRP), given in combination with diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus vaccine (DPT). When PRP was administered alone, 9 of 15 children demonstrated fourfold or greater increases in titres of anti-PRP antibody. In contrast, in the group receiving a combination vaccine consisting of DPT and PRP only 1 of 13 children showed a similar rise in anti-PRP antibody. It was concluded that, in the population studied, the combination vaccine was less effective than PRP alone. The reasons for this difference and its potential significance are discussed.


[Isoelectric variants of the principal polypeptide (p 30) of different strains of murine oncornaviruses].

The major murine oncornavirus polypeptide p 30 (30,000 daltons), which bears the conventional group-specific (gs) determinants, can be separated by isoelectric focusing into four classes, with isoelectric points (pI) of 5.5, 5.9, 6.7 and 7.1. All the Moloney stocks tested have a pI 5.9 p 30, while p 30's with three to four different pI values are found to coexist in other stocks, with the pI 6.7 form predominating in Gross virus stocks.


[In vitro transmission of mouse leukemia virus to restrictive mouse cells: necessity for mixed infection by two different leukemia viruses].

The plaque formation of murine leukemia virus (MuLV) in non permissive mouse cells (N-tropic MuLV in B-type cells, or B-tropic MuLV in N-type cells) was increased by murine sarcoma virus whose plaque-forming activity was extremely low (MuSV XC-). The infection of N-tropic MuLV in B-type cells was increased by MuSV XC- propagated only in N-type cells but not in B-type cells, and the infection of B-tropic MuLV in N-type cells by MuSV XC- propagated only in B-type cells but not in N-type cells.


[Stimulation of SV40 virus replication in Chinese hamster kidney cells by treatment of the cells with mitomycin C].

The production of virions by Chinese hamster kidney cells infected with SV 40 DNA is increased 10 to 100 fold by mitomycin C treatment. This observation has been confirmed for different cell clones. The optimum concentration of mitomycin C has been determined.


[The peroxisomes of Triturus cristatus (amphibian, urodele) adrenal cortex cells: peroxisome number as a function of steroidogenic activity].

Peroxisomes are scarce in the poorly active interrenal cells of hypophysectomized animals; their number increases drastically in cells which are stimulated by corticotrophic factors. A precise correlation appears thus to exist between the steroidogenic activity of the interrenal cells and the number of peroxisomes in these cells.


[Selection of cell lines resistant to ouabain from murine plasmacytoma MOPC 173. Cross resistance to cyclic AMP, theophylline, and concanavalin A].

Using ouabain as a selective agent, we obtained from a contact inhibited and a non contact inhibited cell layer derived from the same plasmocytoma, different resistant cell lines. All of them were ouabain resistant but were also able to grow in presence of normallly toxic levels of cAMP, theophylline and concanavalin A.


[Purification and study of equine infectious anemia virus antigens, produced in vivo or in cultured cells].

The G and C antigens of equine infectious anemia virus have been produced in vivo and in infected cell culture, then they have been purified. Their physico-chemical properties have been determined, particularly their molecular weight, their sedimentation coefficient, their density and the iso electric point.


[Primary liver carcinogenesis induced by the pesticide 2-(4-tert-butylphenoxy0-1-methylethyl 2-chloroethyl sulphite (Aramite)].

Wistar rats were fed, during 56 weeks, a diet containing 5 g/kg of Aramite. At the end of the treatment, all the surviving animals show, on anatomo-pathological examination, malignant proliferation of the hepatic tissue and, in certain cases, of biliary ducts. This compound, proposed in the past as acaricide in agriculture, can thus be considered as a model substance for induction of malignant liver tumors.


Changes in cyclic nucleotide levels and contractile force in the isolated hypoxic rat heart during perfusion with glucagon.

Isolated rat hearts were perfused with hormonal concentrations of glucagon during a hypoxic perfusion to determine whether it would enhance recovery after reoxygenation. Rat hearts were divided into two groups: (1) those perfused with glucose-free Tyrode's solution and (2) those perfused with Tyrode's solution containing glucose. During 3 minutes of exposure to hypoxia both untreated hearts and hearts perfused with glucagon demonstrated a decrease in contractile force to 10-20% of control. When glucose was present in the perfusion medium, cardiac performance was better during both the periods of hypoxia and reoxygenation. During reoxygenation, recovery of contractile force was significantly better (P less than 0.05) in glucagon-perfused hearts than in untreated hearts; this improved recovery occurred regardless of whether glucose was included in the medium. The enhanced recovery of the glucagon-perfused hearts was associated with decreases in myocardial levels of guanosine, 3',5'-monophosphate (cyclic GMP) both during the periods of hypoxia and reoxygenation. At the end of the hypoxic period, cyclic GMP levels in the glucagon-perfused hearts were 20-64% of the levels in untreated hearts. Similarly, after 5 minutes of reoxygenation cyclic GMP levels in the glucagon-perfused hearts were 21% of the levels in the untreated hearts. The effect of glucagon on adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cyclic AMP) concentrations in untreated hearts and in hearts receiving glucagon was not significantly different either after 3 minutes of hypoxia or during reoxygenation. The rate of anaerobic glycolysis after 3 minutes of hypoxia was higher in untreated hearts than in glucagon-perfused hearts, as determined by the lactate content of coronary perfusates. These studies suggest that hormonal concentrations of glucagon exert a protective effect on the hypoxic rat heart which involves a modulation of cardiac cyclic GMP accumulation.


The role of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system in cardiovascular homeostasis in normal human subjects.

To examine the role of angiotensin II in the maintenance of blood pressure and the control of aldosterone secretion in man, eight normal subjects were studied on a tilt table in sodium replete and sodium depleted states prior to and subsequent to the intravenous infusion of an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (CEI). In both the sodium replete or sodium depleted state, upright tilting resulted in an increase in heart rate and a narrowing of pulse pressure. None of the sodium replete or depleted subjects fainted. Tilting was accompanied by a rise in plasma renin activity with an associated rise in plasma aldosterone concentration. When converting enzyme inhibitor was administered, which blocked the generation of angiotensin II, sodium replete subjects were able to compensate for an upright tilt, despite the absence of angiotensin II, without significant hemodynamic change when compared to control state. In sodium depleted subjects, after the administration of converting enzyme inhibitor, there was a sharp and significant decrease in systolic and diastolic blood pressure associated with a significant rise in heart rate. All but one sodium depleted subject fainted within seven minutes. Both plasma aldosterone concentration and plasma renin activity rose on tilting in both sodium replete and sodium depleted subjects. After the administration of converting enzyme inhibitor, plasma aldosterone failed to rise in association with a rise in plasma renin activity. In supine subjects, after the administration of converting enzyme inhibitor, plasma renin activity rose but plasma aldosterone concentration fell. In sodium depleted subjects, after the administration of CEI, aldosterone fell to a level significantly lower than that in supine controls and to a level no different from the supine sodium replete subject. These results indicate that angiotensin II is essential for blood pressure maintenance in sodium depleted individuals, that angiotensin II exerts a direct feedback control on renin secretion, and that angiotensin II is the primary stimulus to aldosterone secretion in response to both sodium depletion and to posture.


Dual radionuclide study of myocardial infarction. Relationships between myocardial uptake of potassium-43, technetium-99m stannous pyrophosphate, regional myocardial blood flow and creatine phosphokinase depletion.

The dual radionuclide myocardial distributions of imaging agents potassium-43 (43K) and technetium-99m stannous pyrophosphate (99mTc-PYP) were studied in a 24-hour closed chest canine infarct preparation. In multiple myocardial biopsies in 20 dogs, tissue levels of both radionuclides were compared to either an index of tissue viability (myocardial creatine phosphokinase [CPK] depletion), or to estimates of regional myocardial blood flow as measured by the microsphere technique. Myocardial 43K uptake in the ischemic and infarcted zone correlated well with both CPK depletion (r = 0.73) and microsphere estimates of relative blood flow. The correlation with microspheres was excellent in the transmural sample (r = 0.93) as well as endocardial (r = 0.97) and epicardial (r = 0.86) portions. On the other hand, 99mTc-PYP myocardial uptake did not correlate with the extent of CPK depletion. Maximal uptake was frequently noted in border zones with only moderate CPK depletion, while lesser degrees of 99mTc-PYP uptake were noted in the central infarct zone where CPK activity was lowest. The relationship of 99mTc-PYP uptake to microsphere regional flow estimates demonstrated that 99mTc-PYP uptake was maximal at flows of 0.3 to 0.4 of normal. At lower flows, 99mTc-PYP uptake fell toward normal levels. A similar relationship was noted between the distributions of 99mTc-PYP and 43K. In relatively high flow border segments (larger than or equal to 0.80 of normal), abnormal 99mTc-PYP uptake of five to six times normal persisted. The transmural distribution of 99mTc-PYP demonstrated that in low flow regions 99mTc-PYP uptake was primarily epicardial, while in the higher flow ischemic periphery of the infarct endocardial uptake predominated. Thus, while there is a direct correlation between cationic 43K myocardial uptake and regional myocardial viability and blood flow, no such direct relationship exists for 99mTc-PYP. This is in part based on the necessity for delivery of the radioactive tracer to the infarct zone.


Superoxide anions and other components of human renal adenocarcinoma.

The levels of superoxide anion production, cytochrome P450, ornithine decarboxylase(E.C.4.1.1.17), catalase(E.C.1.11.1.6), deoxyribonucleic acid, ribonucleic acid and protein have been studied in human kidney and renal clear-cell adenocarcinoma tissues. The levels of superoxide anion production, ornithine decarboxylase, catalase and ribonucleic acid in the tumor tissue are very different from those in the kidney.


Separation of A and E prostaglandins by celite partition chromatography for radioimmunoassay.

This report describes the use of celite partition chromatography to separate the A and E prostaglandins. The stationary phase consists of a glycine-HCL buffer, pH 3.6-3.7. The mobile phase consists of mixtures of ethyl acetate in toluene. At this critical hydrogen ion concentration of the stationary phase, the two prostaglandin groups are clearly separated on the basis of their difference in polarity, with greater than 95% recoveries and only 5% overlap of the elution patterns. It is anticipated that specific radioimmunoassays can be achieved by combining this system with partially specific antisera.


Lipoprotein pre-staining: comparison of nitroblue tetrazolium and Sudan Black B.

Nitroblue tetrazolium and Sudan Black B have been compared as pre-staining agents for human serum lipoproteins, using acrylamide gel gradients. Results from Nitroblue tetrazolium staining should be used with caution for low and very low density lipoproteins, and further work appears necessary on the reaction with alpha-lipoproteins.


[An immunoelectrophoretic study of plasma lipoproteins in a case of familial deficiency of lecithin-cholesterol acyltransferase (author's transl)].

The lipid composition and apopeptide patterns of plasma LDL and VLDL have been studied in a patient with LCAT deficiency, using two-dimensional immunoelectrophoresis. After absorption of a fat meal an elevation of VLDL apopeptides C was observed. Apo-LDL also showed an abnormal relative increase of apo-C. After heparin-induced lipolysis, a shift of apo-C from chylomicra and VLDL to LDL was noticed by the striking increase of apo-C in this last lipoprotein class. In view of the present and previously published results the possible mechanisms involved in lipoprotein catabolism in LCAT deficiency are discussed.


Urinary lactate excretion in normal children and in children with enzyme defects of carbohydrate metabolism.

Urinary lactate was analyzed in 53 normal children, 7 children with glucose-6-phosphatase-deficient glycogenosis, 1 child with fructose-1,6-diphosphatase deficiency and 1 child with pyruvate dehydrogenase deficiency. Lactate in 24-h urine was expressed as concentration, total excretion, excretion per kg body weight and per 1.73 m2 body surface, and as lactate/creatinine quotient. Of these parameters, the lactate concentration in 24-h urine showed the smallest variation in normal children (0.155 +/- 0.053 mM), whereas in patients with one of the above mentioned enzymopathies 10-300-fold elevations were found. The lactate/creatinine quotient, normal range 0.010 to 0.058 (mM/mM) was also used to correct for unnoticed losses of urine. Both parameters, used in conjunction with blood lactate analysis, are suitable for a first screening of patients with enzymopathies of carbohydrate metabolism, and for the follow-up study of the steady or unsteady state of the patient with an enzyme defect of carbohydrate metabolism.


Corticosteroid sulfate excretion and estrogen receptors in breast cancer.

The urinary excretion of corticosteroid sulfates and free cortisol were determined in 150 breast cancer patients. Four of 60 cases of early breast cancer (7%) and 26 of 90 patients with advanced breast cancer (29%) showed an elevated urinary corticosteroid sulfate excretion. Urinary free cortisol was usually normal. Estrogen receptor assays were performed on tumor samples from 67 breast cancer patients; 24 were from primary lesions obtained at mastectomy, 3 from inoperable primaries in patients with systemic metastases, and 40 from metastases. Sixteen of the primary breast cancers (67%), 26 of the metastases (65%) and 1 of the 3 inoperable primaries contained estrogen receptors. With 2 exceptions, patients with an increased urinary corticosteroid sulfate excretion also had estrogen receptor-containing tumors.


Male pseudohermaphroditism with hypertension due to a 17alpha-hydroxylation deficiency.

A case of male pseudohermaphroditism aged 48 years with systemic hypertension and hypokalaemic alkalosis is described. Results of metabolic studies point to a 17alpha-hydroxylase deficiency demonstrated by low cortisol (0-56 mg/24 h), high corticosterone (270 mg/24 h) and 11-deoxycorticosterone (5 mg/24 h) secretion rates. Adrenocorticotrophin and gonadotrophin levels were markedly raised but plasma androstenedione (3 ng/dl), testosterone (17 ng/dl), oestrone (3 ng/dl) and oestradiol(1-8 ng/dl) were all low. Plasma aldosterone levels and secretion rates in urine were low and were surprisingly unaffected by dexamethasone therapy although low renin levels rose with a marked return of the erect posture effect. Therapeutic levels of dexamethasone were, however, followed by incipient renal failure.


Ectodermal dysplasia, mental retardation, cleft lip/palate and other anomalies in three sibs.

Three females in a sibship of 10 have a syndrome of mental retardation, ectodermal dysplasia, and cleft lip and/or cleft palate. Inconstant features are congenital skin defects, areas of hyperpigmentation, congenital adhesions between the eyelids, cicatricial atrophy of the scalp, abnormal E.E.G., partial anodontia, genital hypoplasia, syndactyly, and delayed skeletal growth and maturation. The mode of inheritance could be either dominant with incomplete penetrance, or autosomal recessive. The disorder has overlapping features with several previously delineated syndromes but in view of certain novel features its relationship to these is uncertain.


Triploidy syndrome. A report on two live-born (69, XXY) and one still-born (69, XXX) infants.

Two live-born cases, 69,XXY and one stillbirth, 69,XXX are reported. Further evidence is presented to delineate the triploidy syndrome. Common external and internal features which characterize the triploidy syndrome are low-set ears, hypertelorism, colobomata, syndactyly, simian creases, microphallus, undescended testes, scrotal aplasia, anomalous heart and hypoplasia of kidneys and adrenals. The triploidy syndrome encompasses features found in trisomies 13, 18 and 21. We suggest that the abnormal development of the triploidy infants is the result of the mentioned trisomies and their subsequent effect on the remaining genome.


Inheritance of xanthomatosis and hyper-beta-lipoproteinaemia. A study of 7 large kindreds.

In a study of xanthomatosis in the county of Ostfold, Norway (approximately 220,000 inhabitants), it was found that 20% (37 out of 185) of the probands belonges to seven large kindreds where xanthomatosis and hyper-beta-lipoproteinaemia segregated. Almost complete ascertainment (99%) of living subjects in the sibships in these families was obtained. Within each kindred, the frequency distribution of age- and sex-adjusted cholesterol and LDL cholesterol were discontinuous; the xanthomatosis patients all had values corresponding to the upper mode, whereas no person without xanthomatosis had such values. The combined results showed a slight overlap. Triglyceride concentrations were unimodally distributed. The genetics of the disorder in the seven families was analysed on the basis of 270 individuals. The segregation pattern satisfied the criteria for autosomal dominant inheritance, but not those for a polygenic trait. Thus, xanthomatosis with hyper-beta-lipoproteinaemia segregates as an autosomal dominant trait in these seven kindreds. No evidence of reduced penetrance was found. Since both IIA and IIB lipoprotein patterns were observed within the same family, there is no evidence that the two patterns reflect the presence of different genes in these kindreds.


Further observations on familial hypobetaliproteinaemia.

A family with hypobetalipoproteinaemia with 10 affected members is described. In six patients low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) concentrations were about 10 % of normal. In four LDL-c was reduced to about 50 % of normal; these four patients probably represent the "intermediate" form of hypobetalipoproteinaemia. This variation in total cholesterol concentration and LDL-c among the affected individuals of the same family could reflect differences of expression in a single aberrant gene or additive expression of a gene at a second locus.


The inheritance of hyperlipoproteinaemia with xanthomatosis. A study of 132 kindreds.

In a study of xanthomatosis kindreds in the county of Ostfold, Norway, 95 % of the living first degree relatives of the probands were investigated. Hyperlipoproteinaemia (lipid values above the 95th percentile) was present in 40.8 % of 554 first degree relatives of probands with xanthomatosis. The distribution curve was bimodal for cholesterol and LDL cholesterol concentrations, but not for triglyceride concentration within the different categories of families. The IIA lipoprotein pattern was the most frequent lipoprotein abnormality, in probands as well as in affected first degree relatives. However, IIB and IV lipoprotein patterns were also found in affected family members, irrespective of the pattern in the probands. About 93% of the xanthomatosis subjects had a lipoprotein disorder segregating as an autosomal dominant; the remaining 7 % were sporadic cases and/or had a multifactorially determined xanthomatosis. More sibs that offspring were affected; this was particularly pronounced for males with a IIA lipoprotein pattern. The genetic analysis gave no reason to suspect that hypercholesterolaemia with a IIA pattern is not the same disease as hypercholesterolaemia with a IIB pattern. However, a significant number of xanthomatosis patients had more than one type of hyperlipoproteinaemia. The frequency of the xanthomatosis trait was estimated to be 3.2/1000, and the ascertainment probability 0.6. The prevalence of familial hypercholesterolaemia with xanthomatosis was estimated to be 2.2/1000 and the multiple type hyperlipoproteinaemia with xanthomatosis had a frequency of 1.0/1000.