Localization by immunofluorescence of a gastrin-like substance in the brain of the rainbow trout,Salmo gairdneri

Summary With the aid of an indirect immunofluorescence technique neurones containing a gastrin-like substance were identified in the brain of Salmo gairdneri. The perikarya of these neurones appear to be located along the periventricular part of the nucleus lateralis tuberis between the hypophysial stalk and the most rostral tip of the saccus vasculosus. The fibres of these perikarya run rostrally toward the hypophysis, where they can be followed in the protrusions of the neurohypophysis into the proximal pars distalis. Here the bundle of immunoreactive fibres divides into numerous smaller bundles and into single fibres. Immunohistochemical specificity tests have shown this immunoreactive substance to belong to the gastrin group, sharing an antigenic determinant with cholecystokinin (CCK) and pentagastrin (common aminoacid sequence Trp-Met-Asp-Phe). A possible function of these gastrin (or CCK)-containing neurones in the rainbow trout is discussed.     

Nitrogen and Phosphorus in the Finnish Energy System, 1900–2003

In producing power, humans move the nutrients nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) from their long‐term geological and biological stocks and release or emit them in soil, water, and the atmosphere. In Finland, peat combustion is an important driver of N and P fluxes from the environment to human economy. The flows of N and P in the Finnish energy system were quantified with partial substance flow analysis, and the driving forces of emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) were analyzed using the ImPACT model. In the year 2000 in Finland, 140,000 tonnes of nitrogen entered the energy system, mainly in peat and hard coal. Combustion released an estimated 66,000 tonnes of N as nitrogen oxides (NOx) and nitrous oxides (N2O) and another 74,000 tonnes as elemental N2. Most of the emissions were borne in traffic. At the same time, 6,000 tonnes of P was estimated to enter the Finnish energy system, mostly in peat and wood. Ash was mainly used in earth construction and disposed in landfills; thus negligible levels of P were recycled back to nature. During the twentieth century, fuel‐borne input of N increased 20‐fold, and of P 8‐fold. In 1900–1950, the increasing use of hard coal slowly boosted N input, whereas wood fuels were the main carrier of P. Since 1970, the fluxes have been on the rise. NOx emissions leveled off in the 1980s, though, and then declined in conjunction with improvements in combustion technologies such as NOx removal (de‐NOx) technologies in energy production and catalytic converters in cars.     

大鼠脑室注射P物质引起的血压升高与脑啡肽和β-内啡肽有关

给乌拉坦麻醉大鼠侧脑室注射P物质(SP)10μg 引起的升压效应,可被脑室注射纳洺酮15μg 部分阻断。将抗β-内啡肽抗血清、抗甲啡肽抗血清及抗亮啡肽抗血清各10μl 分别注入侧脑室预处理60min 后,再注入 SP,其升压效应明显减弱;而抗强啡肽抗血清则对其无影响。上述结果提示:大鼠脑室注射 SP 引起的升压效应,可能是通过释放β-内啡肽和脑啡肽实现的。     

Effect of volume expansion on hemodynamic variables in nephrectomized dogs

We have previously demonstrated that blood pressure elevation by acute blood volume expansion is volume-dependent during the infusion period and resistance-dependent in the post-infusion period in normal anesthetized dogs, and that such an increase in blood pressure is associated with a potentiation of the pressor response to norepinephrine. To evaluate the possible renal contribution to these hemodynamic changes, blood volume expansion was performed for 1 h with dextran dissolved in lactated Ringer's solution (20 ml/kg) in 15 nephrectomized dogs. The mean blood pressure, cardiac output and total peripheral resistance at the end of infusion were 126%, 225% and 60%, respectively; 3 h after volume expansion they were 126%, 151%, and 92% respectively. However, in 4 dogs, there was an increase in mean blood pressure (138%) 3 h after volume expansion. This was thought to result from an increase in the total peripheral resistance (133%) associated with the recovery of cardiac output (106%). The pressor response to norepinephrine (0.5 microgram/kg) was potentiated after volume expansion. These results indicate that the handling of volume by the kidney contributed to the maintenance of an elevated level of cardiac output. However, nephrectomy did not seem to interfere with the hemodynamic switching of the causative factor for blood pressure elevation from increased cardiac output to increased total peripheral resistance. Neither was the potentiation of pressor response to norepinephrine affected.     

A toxic substance produced by Nocardia otitidiscaviarum isolated from cutaneous nocardiosis

During our studies on toxic substances from clinically isolated Nocarida, a new isolate identified as Nocardia otitidiscaviarum from cutaneous nocardiosis was found to produce a toxic substance called HS-6 that had strong in vitro as well as in vivo toxicity. The mouse intraperitoneal LD₅₀ value was 1.25 mg/kg and the ED₅₀ value for L1210 cultured cells was 0.3 ng/ml. The structure of HS-6 was determined and found to belong to the 16-membered macrocyclic group with a molecular formula of C₄₃H₆₈O₁₂. HS-6 also showed activity against pathogenic fungi such as Cryptococcus neoformans.     

辣椒素引起脊髓P物质释放及其对血压的影响

为进一步研究脊髓 P 物质(SP)在调节心血管活动中的作用,在大鼠脊髓蛛网膜下腔注射(ith)辣淑素(cap),以刺激脊髓 SP 能神经末梢释放 SP,结果引起血浆去甲肾上腺素(NA)和肾上腺素(AD)含量增高,及具有剂量依赖性的动脉血压上升,心率升高。ith 具有高度特异性的 SP 受体拮抗剂或 SP 抗血清均可阻断 cap 引起的升压效应,免疫组化测定也观察到注入的cap 剂量越大,脊髓胸段 SP 样免疫阳性反应物的致密度越低,这些观察结果支持 cap 可以引起脊髓内 SP 的释放的说法。在第一颈段(C_1)横断脊髓后 ith cap 所引起的升压效应与完整动物 ith cap 的升压效应无显著差异。以上结果提示脊髓 SP 能神经末梢释放的 SP 可以通过交感肾上腺髓质系统引起心血管兴奋效应,SP 可能是引起交感节前神经元兴奋的神经递质。     

Cystatins from bovine brain: Purification,some properties,and action on substance P degrading activity

Two cystatins were purified from tissue extract of bovine brain by alkaline treatment, acetone fractionation, gel chromatography on Sephadex G-75, and affinity chromatography on S-carboxymethyl-papain-Sepharose. One of the inhibitors had a relatively high molecular mass, 25 kDa (HMM-cystatin) with pI 4.7, and the other, 11 kDa (LMM-cystatin) with pI 5.23. Both inhibitors showed considerable stability at pH 2 and 80°C. The cystatins inhibited papain, ficin, and cathepsins B and H, but not trypsin, chymotrypsin, thermolysin, nagarse, and cathepsin D. K_i values for the complexes of papain and the inhibitors were estimated to be 2.8×10^–10 M for HMM-cystatin and 1.3×10^–9 M for LMM-cystatin. Both purified cystatins prevented degradation of substance P by soluble fraction and lysosomal extract obtained from synaptosomes, but did not suppress the cleavage of the peptide by synaptosomal plasma membranes.Abbreviations HMM-cystatin high molecular mass inhibitor - LMM-cystatin low molecular mass inhibitor - SP substance P - SPM synaptosomal plasma membranes - p-CMB 4-chloromercuribenzoic acid - BK bradykinin - Bz-Arg-Nap N-benzoyl-dl-arginine--naphthylamide - Arg-Nap dl-arginine--naphthylamide - P-Pxy-Hb hemoglobin initially coupled with pyridoxal-5-phosphate     

The response of a bumblebee goby,Brachygobius sabanus,to chemical stimuli from injured conspecifics

Synopsis Brachygobius sabanus move less often and spend less time swimming when they detect chemicals released from injured conspecifics. This resembles the alarm response found in ostariophysan fishes, darters, and at least one other gobiid. Chemicals from injured Poecilia reticulata do not induce an alarm response in B. sabanus.     

Supersaturation of soil solutions with respect to gypsum

The products of activities of calcium and sulphate were calculated for solutions of 75 glasshouse soils. The majority of these products was found to be higher than the solubility product of gypsum, thus indicating that these soil solutions were possibly supersaturated. In another investigation, soil solutions were examined to determine whether such high activity products could be really attributed to supersaturation. By means of ultracentrifuging of solutions of glasshouse soils, it could be established that the solutions were practically free of sulphate-bearing colloidal particles. Some solutions contained calcium-bearing colloidal particles, but the quantities of calcium contained in these particles were too small to substantially influence the calcium activity. Addition of gypsum crystals to soil solutions led to crystallization of so much calcium and sulphate that the products of the activities of calcium and sulphate dropped from values that can be listed as high to values approaching the solubility product of gypsum. The results obtained demonstrate the occurrence of supersaturation of soil solutions with respect to gypsum. It is further postulated that the presence of humic substances in the soil solution is responsible for this supersaturation. The possible occurrence of supersaturation with respect to gypsum in soils other than glasshouse soils is discussed.     

Vasoactive intestinal peptide effects on GH3 pituitary tumor cells: high affinity binding, affinity labeling, and adenylate cyclase stimulation. Comparison with peptide histidine isoleucine and growth hormone-releasing factor

The vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) receptor was characterized on the GH3 rat pituitary tumor cell line using competitive binding studies with peptides having sequence homology with VIP. Further studies investigated receptor coupling to the adenylate cyclase complex by measurement of cAMP levels. Finally, the molecular weight of the receptor was estimated by affinity labeling techniques. Studies using 125I-VIP and unlabeled competing peptides revealed a single class of high affinity binding sites with a dissociation constant (KD) of 17 +/- 2 nM (mean +/- S.E.M.) for VIP, 275 +/- 46 nM for peptide histidine isoleucine (PHI), and 1380 +/- 800 nM for human pancreatic growth hormone releasing factor (GHRF). VIP and PHI each stimulated intracellular cAMP accumulation in a dose-dependent manner; both peptides demonstrated synergism with forskolin. In contrast, GHRF neither stimulated accumulation of cAMP nor demonstrated synergism with forskolin. VIP plus PHI (1 microM each) caused no significant increase in cAMP over either VIP or PHI alone, implying that the two peptides act through the same receptor. Covalent crosslinking of 125I-VIP to its binding site using either disuccinimidyl suberate (DSS) or ethylene glycol bis(succinimidyl succinate) (EGS) was followed by SDS-PAGE and autoradiography. The result is consistent with an Mr 47 000 VIP-binding subunit comprising or being associated with the VIP receptor of GH3 pituitary tumor cells.