Phagocytic activity and reproduction of the trophoblast cells in the embryo of albino rat]

The phagocytic activity of primary and secondary giant cells of the white rat's trophoblast was studied in the course of differentiation. The highest activity occurs in the initial period of the foetus implantation to last within a limited time for 5--6 days. Both quantitative and qualitative differences were detected in phagocytic activities of the trophoblast cells during their growth. A question is discussed of the time synchronism between the phagocytic activity and the trophoblast cells polyploidization.     

Enzymatic activity of chymopsin of various origin]

A number of enzymatic properties of fish pylochymopsin and bull chymopsin have been studied. Hydrolysis of synthetic ethers of N-benzoyl-L-tyrosine and N-benzoyl-L-arginine by these chymopsins depending at the time and concentration of preparations has been studied. It was found that bull chymopsin is the most active one. It was shown that concentrations of 2 to 6 micrograms/ml of bull chymopsin and of 15 to 20 micrograms/ml of fish enzyme were optimal for synthetic substrate BTME hydrolysis. The significant trypsin activity was revealed in the both preparations on a number of synthetic amides. In contrast to the bull chymopsin the treatment of fish pylochymopsin by TPCK did not completely remove the chymotryptic activity of pylochymopsin. It was shown that tryptic activity in the both preparations was completely removed with TLCK. The time and concentration dependence of the autolysis in both chymopsins has been studied. It should be noted that this process is negligible for fish pylochymopsin in contrast to bull chymopsin. Stabilization of both proteases in aqueous solution at room temperature has been studied. Stabilization of the chymopsins in solution is achieved by the addition of various protein preparations including casein and serum albumin. The degree of stabilization by these proteins was achieved at 2% concentration.     

贮藏时间对银杏花粉保护酶活性和萌发率的影响

研究了室温贮藏对银杏花粉萌发率及超氧化物歧化酶(Superoxide dismutase,SOD)、过氧化物酶(Peroxi-dase,POD)、过氧化氢酶(Catalase,CAT)活性的影响。结果表明,随着贮藏时间的延长,花粉萌发率由88．89％降到15．76％;贮藏15d之后超氧化物歧化酶活性降低了80％;过氧化物酶活性减少到原来的10％;过氧化氢酶活性也减少了70％。在室温贮藏条件下萌发率随保护酶活性的下降而降低。POD酶对花粉萌发率的影响比SOD、CAT酶显著。     

The activity of beta-hydroxy-beta-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase in the soluble fraction of rat liver]

Assay conditions are worked out for determination of activity of beta-hydroxy-beta-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase (HMG-CoA reductase) in 140.000 g supernatant fraction of the rat liver. Some kinetic properties of the enzyme are studied: the activity dependency on the incubation time, protein concentration, pH, glutathione, dithiothreitol and HMG-CoA contents in the incubation medium. The effect of Triton WR 1339 on the activity of HMG-CoA reductase in the liver 140.000 g supernatant and microsomal fractions is comparatively studied. Diurnal activity variations of soluble and microsomal enzymes are also investigated. It is suggested that the rat liver HMG-CoA reductase in the 140.000 g supernatant fraction is not identical to the enzyme located in the microsomal fraction.     

Circadian rhythm in Leu-beta-naphthylamide hydrolysing activity in selected photoneuroendocrine areas of adult male rats.

Soluble Leu-beta-naphthylamide hydrolysing activity (arylamidase activity) was assayed in retina, superior cervical ganglia, several brain areas and serum of adult male rats, at different time points of a 12:12h light:dark cycle (from 7h to 19h light). The results demonstrated a left or right biased asymmetrical distribution of this activity depending on the time point studied: While the levels of activity were significantly higher in the left retina than in the right one at 10h of the light period, these were predominant in the right side, at 01h of the dark period. In addition, this activity was higher in the left hypothalamus at 13h of the light period. No asymmetries were disclosed in the rest of time points and structures studied. On the other hand, this activity demonstrated a diurnal variation in the left anterior hypothalamus and total posterior hypothalamus but no periodic variation was evidenced in right anterior hypothalamus or the rest of zones studied. These results may reflect the role of this activity regulating the functional status of its susceptible endogenous substrates.     

Functional mechanism of expiratory pattern generator

Tidal expiratory activity and the time to its peak (TEa, i.e., time of active expiration) were measured from the integration curve of external oblique muscle activity in rabbits. The rabbits were spontaneously breathing under urethan-chloralose anesthesia in the prone position. CO2 rebreathing was performed, and the changes in the temporal profile of the integrated expiratory activity were studied. Hypercapnia increased the tidal expiratory activity before and after bilateral vagotomy. Before vagotomy, the rate of rise (tidal expiratory activity/TEa) increased significantly and TEa was shortened. On the other hand, after vagotomy, the rate of rise remained unchanged and TEa was prolonged. An expiratory off-switch model is postulated according to the quantitative relationship between the time and amplitude of the tidal expiratory activity. The expiratory activity pattern in vagotomized rabbits was similar to that in humans.     

Inhibition of jack bean urease by p-benzoquinone: elucidation of the role of thiols and reversibility of the process

p-Benzoquinone (pBQ) was studied as an inhibitor of jack bean urease in 20 mM phosphate buffer, pH 7.0, 1 mM EDTA, 25 degrees C. The inhibition was carried out by the use of a preincubation procedure in the absence of substrate. The influence of the inhibitor concentration and the preincubation time on the enzyme activity was elucidated. It was found that increase in pBQ concentration resulted in a linear decrease of urease activity. The dependence of the enzyme activity on the preincubation time showed that the rate of inhibition rapidly decreased at the beginning of the process in order to achieve the constant value. The inhibition became time independent in the studied time range. This observation is characteristic of a slow binding mechanism of inhibition. The protective experiment proved that the urease active site is involved in the binding of pBQ. High effectiveness of thiol protectors against pBQ inhibition indicates the strategic role of the active site sulfhydryl group in the blocking process. There were two methods used for reactivation of pBQ-inhibited urease. The dilution of the urease-pBQ complex in urea solution did not result in a regain of enzyme activity. Alternatively, the addition of dithiothreitol into the urease-pBQ mixture caused the instant and efficient reactivation of the enzyme. The experiments showed that the nature of the urease-pBQ complex is irreversible but the application of a specific thiol reagent can release the active enzyme from the complex.     

Day and night activity of Grey seal bulls

While some activity patterns in seals have been related to tidal rhythms, little work was done on diurnal rhythms until the recent development of image intensifying devices which facilitate night viewing. Individual bulls were studied over several 24-hour periods and the frequency of behavioural items was recorded during 10-min periods each hour. No significant differences were recorded between day and night activity levels, except in the frequency of 'Looks', nor was there any relationship between activity and tide state. The thesis that optimization of time spent ashore (and therefore 'at risk' both ecologically and energetically) is achieved by maintaining a constant level of activity through the 24-hour period is discussed. It is concluded that night time activity of Grey seal bulls can be inferred from observations made in daylight hours.     

Inhibition of jack bean urease by p-benzoquinone: elucidation of the role of thiols and reversibility of the process

p-Benzoquinone (pBQ) was studied as an inhibitor of jack bean urease in 20 mM phosphate buffer, pH 7.0, 1 mM EDTA, 25 °C. The inhibition was carried out by the use of a preincubation procedure in the absence of substrate. The influence of the inhibitor concentration and the preincubation time on the enzyme activity was elucidated. It was found that increase in pBQ concentration resulted in a linear decrease of urease activity. The dependence of the enzyme activity on the preincubation time showed that the rate of inhibition rapidly decreased at the beginning of the process in order to achieve the constant value. The inhibition became time independent in the studied time range. This observation is characteristic of a slow binding mechanism of inhibition. The protective experiment proved that the urease active site is involved in the binding of pBQ. High effectiveness of thiol protectors against pBQ inhibition indicates the strategic role of the active site sulfhydryl group in the blocking process. There were two methods used for reactivation of pBQ-inhibited urease. The dilution of the urease-pBQ complex in urea solution did not result in a regain of enzyme activity. Alternatively, the addition of dithiothreitol into the urease-pBQ mixture caused the instant and efficient reactivation of the enzyme. The experiments showed that the nature of the urease-pBQ complex is irreversible but the application of a specific thiol reagent can release the active enzyme from the complex.     

Change in the ATPase activity of glycerinated muscle fibers under the influence of urethane]

The influence of uretane on ATPase activity and contractility of frog glycerinated muscle fibers was studied. Parallel decrease of contractility and ATPase activity of glycerinated muscles takes place upon toxic uretane concentration (1.01 M). A lower uretane concentration (0.34 M) inducing considerable increase of conservation time contractive reaction maintains a higher ATPase activity than does the control one; ATPase activity of the actomyosin from these models is the same as the control one.     

Effect of terrilitin on the proteolytic activity of the blood and formation of an immunostimulating factor by spleen cells

Terrilitin is studied for its effect on proteolytic activity of blood and formation of immunostimulating factors by spleen cells. The preparation is shown to induce isolation of the immunostimulating factor (molecular mass 10-15 kDalton) from the spleen cells. The preparation is destroyed by trypsin and RNAase and is stable to the action of lysozyme. Spleen cell factor of the animals with administered terrilitin increases general antiproteolytic activity of the blood serum and concentration of alpha 2-macroglobulins. At the same time, it decreases the general proteolytic activity and callicrein activity of blood serum for syngenic animals.     

Patterns of puffing activity in the salivary gland chromosomes of Drosophila

The patterns of puffing activity have been studied during the late larval and prepupal stages of Drosophila melanogaster. On the major salivary gland autosomes (chromosomes 2 and 3) 108 loci form puffs at some time during these developmental stages. The timing and pattern of activity of 83 of these puffs is found to be strictly dependent upon the age of the animals. Two major peaks in puffing activity occur. The first of these is at the time of puparium formation and the second in 8 hr. old prepupae. Both of these puffing peaks precede a moult by 4 hrs. 30 puffs are active before or at the time of both of these two moults. However, the sequence of appearance and regression of many of this group of puffs is different at the prepupal moult than at the pupal moult. 12 puffs occur only before or at the time of the prepupal moult and 13 puffs only before or at the time of the pupal moult. The functional significance of these periods of puffing activity is discussed and it is concluded that one function of this genetic activity in the salivary glands of metamorphosing Drosophila is the production of substances to be utilised during the histogenesis of the adult tissues.     

The diurnal modulation of the circatidal activity rhythm by feeding in the isopod eurydice pulchra

The diurnal modulation of circatidal activity was studied in freshly caught Eurydice pulchra of different feeding states. Apparently fully fed specimens displayed definite circadian modulation, with greatest tidal activity at the time of expected night‐time high tides, and apparently starved animals showed no circadian variation. Circatidal activity was also entrained in the laboratory using cycles of artificial agitation and the subsequent pattern of free‐running rhythmicity was studied. Animals fed prior to entrainment displayed definite diurnal modulation of the pattern of ciractidal swimming activity. Those fed after the entrainment regime, or not at all, displayed no apparent diurnal inequality of tidal activity peaks. No relationship between diurnal inequality and phototactic behaviour of freshly collected specimens was detected.     

Dynamics and some characteristics of natural free cytokinin content in growing apices of apple tree shoots during the vegetative season

The changes of content and some chromatographic characteristics and biological activities of natural free cytokinins were studied during the vegetation season in the growing apices of apple tree shoots. Biological cytokinin activity was discovered in two groups of compounds differing in the time of their biological actions. Rf values and in the time of their maximal content in the growing apices. The time of maximal content was in accordance with their biological activity.     

The Difference Between Activity When in Bed and out of Bed. III. Nurses on Night Work

Eight nurses have been studied during rest days and three successive night shifts. Measurements of wrist activity have been made and used to assess the extent to which the pattern of daily activity changes between control (rest) days and days involving night work. One analysis considered wrist activity during time spent in bed; this appears to decrease in parallel with the amount of time in bed that is lost during night work but, when this effect is corrected for, there is greater activity during time spent in bed in the daytime compared with control days (when time in bed is during the night). The dichotomy of activity (between lower values during time spent in bed and higher values when out of bed) also decreases if time in bed is during the daytime while on night shifts. These changes in the amount of wrist activity and the dichotomy between activity in and out of bed are related to the changed quality and quantity of sleep that has been measured by self-report questionnaires and the sleep EEG. It is concluded that results from wrist actimetry can provide valuable information regarding the process of adjustment to night work, and that its convenience (to subject and experimenter), coupled with the new analytical approaches described here, make it a viable method for field studies. (Chronobiology International, 13(4), 273-282, 1996)     

淹水胁迫对铺地黍几种保护酶活性的影响

目的:探讨淹水胁迫对铺地黍几种保护酶活性的影响.方法:通过模拟试验,研究不同淹水时间对铺地黍体内超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、过氧化氢酶(CAT)、过氧化物酶(POD)及多酚氧化酶(PPO)活性的影响.结果:在淹水胁迫前期,铺地黍体内SOD、CAT和PPO活性总体表现为升高的变化特征.之后,随着胁迫时间的延长,3种酶活性均逐渐降低,在淹水5w时,SOD、CAT和PPO活性分别为对照的38.7%、50.3%和178.2%.而在整个淹水期间POD活性则一直呈升高的趋势.结论:几种保护酶对淹水胁迫的响应能力有差异,其中SOD、CAT活性的变化可作为铺地黍对淹水反应的生理指标.     

Electrical excitability of artificial enzyme membranes: II. Electrochemical and enzyme properties of immobilized acetylcholinesterase membranes

This paper deals with aspects of the reciprocal interaction between enzyme activity and the microenvironment or the potential difference in artificial proteinaceous membranes bearing cross-linked acetylcholinesterase. The potential difference resulting from asymmetric substrate injection into the system is recorded as a function of time. The influence of the membrane charge density on both enzyme activity and potential difference is studied by varying the external solution pH. The enzyme specific potential is initiated by local change of pH at the membrane level and the dependence on the buffer strength is studied. The recorded potential difference appears to be the result of the reciprocal interaction between enzyme reaction and the diffusion of substrate or products.     

Role of 5-hydroxytryptamine in Moringa oleifera induced potentiation of pentobarbitone hypnosis in albino rats

The role of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) in pentobarbitone (PB) sleeping time, gross behaviour, electrical activity of the brain and serum 5-HT level was studied in Holtzman strain adult albino rats following treatment with M. oleifera (MO). MO (350mg/kg) caused inhibition of awareness, touch response, motor activity, righting reflex, and grip strength. It significantly increased the PB sleeping time, serum 5-HT level (P<0.001) and alpha-wave activity. These observations indicate that the aqueous extract of MO potentiated PB induced sleeping time and increased the alpha-wave activity through 5-HT.     

Myosin from fast and slow skeletal and cardiac muscles of mammals of different size.

The ATPase activity of myosin and contraction time in extensor digitorum longus muscle, soleus muscle and cardiac muscle was compared in mammals differing in size. It was shown that the myosin ATPase activity of homologous muscles decreases and contraction time increases with increasing size of animals. The rate of tryptic digestion of myosin, the electrophoretic pattern of light chains of myosin and the effect of p-chloromercuribenzoate on ATPase activity of myosin were also studied. All these three myosin properties are very characteristic when the myosin from a fast muscle is compared with the myosin from a slow muscle of the same animal, but no relationship between these three myosin properties and ATPase activity of myosin was found, when homologous muscles of various mammals were compared.     

Parameters affecting optimum activity and stability of urokinase-bound fibrocollagenous tubes

Urokinase was immobilized by entrapment to fibrocollagenous tubes in order to develop a small-caliber fibrinolytic vascular prosthesis. Several parameters associated with the immobilization process were studied in order to optimize bound urokinase activity and stability. A total of 37% of the absorbing enzyme was attached to the collagen tube and 38% of the attached enzyme retained esterolytic activity, under optimal conditions. In the crosslink step of the entrapment process, the glutaraldehyde concentration was varied from 0.01 to 5.00% (i.e., 0.01, 0.1, 1.0, 3.0, and 5.0%). Urokinase activity was optimized at a 1.0% glutaraldehyde crosslink concentration. Urokinase-bound fibrocollagenous tubes (UK-FCT) prepared at the above glutaraldehyde concentrations were tested for their activity with time. The UK-FCT's with 0.1, 1.0, and 3.0% glutaraldehyde retained constant activity for at least 75 h operation time. The UK-FCT's with 0.1, 1.0, and 3.0% glutaraldehyde retained constant activity for at least 75 h operation time. The UK-FCT's with 5.0 and 0.01% glutaraldehyde remained stable for the first 50 h operation time, but begandeactivating beyond 50 h. UK-FCT'S Crosslinked with 0.01, 0.1, 1.0, and 5.0% glutaraldehyde were recrosslinked with 0.02% glutaraldehyde for 24 h, after they have been operating for 50 h, and the effect of reexposing the crosslink agent on the stability of the UK-FCT's was studied. The results showed that 0.02% glutaraldehyde reexposure had no effect on 0.1, 1.0, and 5.0% glutaraldehyde crosslinked UK-FCT's but exerted an inhibitory effect on a 0.01% crosslink density UK-FCT. Several fibrocollagenous tubes were exposed to various glutaraldehyde concentrations prior to immobilizing urokinase. The subsequent immobilization process occurred under optimal conditions. The effect of the precrosslink step on the activity of the UK-FCT was studied. Results indicated that UK-FCT activity decreases as the precrosslink density increases. The UK-FCT's made under optimal conditions remained stable for at least 75 h operation time, corresponding to ca.1 year of storage time. Ex vivo exposure of UK-FCT's to whole canine blood did not affect catalytic activity. Implantation of a UK-FCT by carotid arterial interposition via an end-to-end anastomosis and subsequent excision after 60 days resulted in an enhanced esterolytic activity which decreased with time to a level close to preoperative levels.