Relative DNA content in lymphocytes and buccal mucosa of patients with sex chromosomal anomalies

Cytophotometric estimation of DNA values from human buccal mucosa and lymphocyte culture nuclei shows a difference related to different X chromosomal abnormalities, namely, del X, XO, XXX and XXY. The values in the buccal mucosa in all cases except XXX were similar to the normal XX and XY. In lymphocytes nuclei, however, a steady increase in the DNA content at a significant level could be related to an increase in the number of X chromosomes. The similarity in the DNA values of normal XX and XY controls may be attributed to asynchrony in the replication patterns of X and Y chromosomes.     

Action of polyethylene glycol on the fusion of human erythrocyte membranes

Summary Factors affecting the polyethylene glycol (PEG)-induced membrane fusion were examined. Human erythrocyte membrane ghosts, cytoskeleton-free vesicles budded from erythrocytes, mechanically disrupted erythrocyte vesicles, and recombinant vesicles from glycophorin and egg phosphatidylcholine were used as models. Fusion was monitored by darkfield light microscopy and by freeze-fracture electron microscopy. Osmotic swelling was found necessary for fusion between membrane ghosts following PEG treatment. The sample with the highest fusion percentage was sealed ghosts incubated in hypotonic media after at least 5 min of treatment in <25% PEG. At similar osmolarity, glycerol, dextran and PEG produced progressively more pronounced intramembranous particle (IMP) patching, correlating with their increasing fusion percentages. The patching of IMP preceded cell-cell contact, and occurred without direct PEG-protein interaction. The presence of cytoskeletal elements in small vesicles had no significant effect on fusion, nor on the aggregation of intramembranous particle (IMP) upon PEG treatment. Disrupting the membrane by lysolecithin, dimethylsulfoxide, retinol or mild sonication resulted in the fragmentation of ghosts without an increase in fusion percentage. The purity of the commercial PEG used had no apparent effect on fusion. We concluded that the key steps in PEG-induced fusion of cell membrane are the creation of IMP-free zones, and the osmotic swelling of cells after the formation of bilayer contacts during the PEG treatment. Cell cytoskeleton affects PEG-induced fusion only to the extent of affecting IMP patching.     

In vitro regeneration of Ruscus hypophyllum L. plants

Callus cultures were established from stem explants of Ruscus hypophyllum on a modified basal medium of Murashige and Skoog (1962) supplemented with 1 mg l^-1 2,4-D+0.1 mg l^-1 BAP. The optimal 2,4-D concentration for promoting shoot bud formation and growth was 0.05 mg l^-1 along with 0.5 mg l^-1 BAP. Sixty percent of rootless shoots produced flowers on the regenerating medium. Rooting was induced when shoots were transferred to half strength MS inorganic salts supplemented with 2 mg l^-1 IBA. Eighty percent of plants transferred to soil have survived.     

蓝斑复合核区内微量注射去甲肾上腺素对刺激兔下丘脑诱发室性期前收缩的影响

在72只乌拉坦、氯醛糖麻醉兔,静脉注射三碘季铵酚后,在人工呼吸下进行实验。结果观察到,在家兔蓝斑复合核(Lo-So)区微量注射去甲肾上腺素(NE)或可乐宁(Clonidine)能减少刺激下丘脑诱发的室性期前收缩(HVE)数。而微量注射β-肾上腺素能受体阻断剂心得安、α_1肾上腺素激动剂甲氧胺(Methoxamine)或苯肾上腺素(Phenylephrine)、α肾上腺素能阻断剂育亨宾(Yohimbine)或阿片受体阻断剂纳洛酮则对 HVE 无明显影响。在 Lo-So 区微量注射 NE 对 HVE 的抑制效应不能被事先在该区注射心得安所阻断但能被事先静脉或 Lo-So 区注射育亨宾所阻断。NE 或可乐宁的抑制效应也均可被育亨宾所翻转。可乐宁的抑制效应还可被纳洛酮所翻转。电解损毁延髓中缝大核区可消除在 Lo-So 区微量注射 NE 或可乐宁对HVE 的抑制效应。上述结果提示,Lo-So 区α_2受体的兴奋可减少 HVE 数,这些作用可能依赖于延髓中缝大核区的完整。可乐宁对 HVE 的抑制作用可能有阿片受体的参与。     

Molecular epidemiology of plasmid patterns in Shigella dysenteriae type I obtained from an outbreak in West Bengal (India)

Abstract Multiple antibiotic-resistant Shigella dysenteriae type 1 isolates from a recent epidemic in West Bengal (India) showed identical plasmid patterns. All isolates were resistant to ampicillin (Am), chloramphenicol (Cm), tetracycline (Tc), streptomycin (Sm) and trimethoprim (Tp) and contained 6 plasmids, ranging from 2.5–120 kb. The Am resistance determinant was located on the 120 kb plasmid. This plasmid was unstable when the S. dysenteriae strains were grown above 37°C. The Bangladesh strains of S. dysenteriae type 1 showed identical plasmid patterns, except that many isolates were Am-sensitive and lacked the 120 kb plasmid. In strains from both Bangladesh and West Bengal, predominantly group-B plasmids conferred resistance to Cm and Tc. Comparisons of Eco R1 fragments generated from the total plasmid DNA content of each strain support the view that the plasmids present in the S. dysenteriae type 1 strains isolated from all recent epidemics in India and Bangladesh were identical.     

超氧物歧化酶在植物细胞内的分布

大豆幼苗下胚轴的SOD活性主要存在于细胞溶质,约占细胞内总活性的87.3％,其次分布在线粒体,约占总活性的6.8～7.2％。细胞溶质的SOD以Cu-Zn-SOD(SODb_1b_2b_2)类型为主,它在细胞溶质中约占86％。线粒体的SOD主要是Mn-SOD(SOD_a)类型,它在线粒体中约占74～76％。大豆幼苗下胚轴的SOD同工酶活性,SOD_a(Mn-SOD)约占13％,SODb_1b_2b_2(Cu-Zn-SOD)约占77％,SODc_1c_2c_2(Cu-Sn-SOD)约占10％,表明大豆幼苗下胚轴的三组同工酶以SODb_1b_1b_2为最强。比较绿色与黄化花生幼苗子叶SODc_1c_2c_2的差异,证明SODc_1c_2c_2的形成与光照下叶绿体的正常发育有关。     

低温对不同耐寒力的黄瓜幼苗子叶的各细胞器中NAD~+-苹果酸脱氢酶的影响

NAD~+-MDH在黄瓜子叶中的定位是细胞溶质中占总活性的55～59％,线粒体为38～35％,叶绿体为7％。其同工酶谱亦为细胞溶质中带数最多,全青为5条,粤早3号为4条,线粒体和叶绿体均为1条,品种间无明显差异。黄瓜幼苗随低温胁迫的加剧,伤害逐步加重,子叶电解质渗出率明显增加,NAD~+-MDH活性亦不断下降,其中叶绿体的NAD~+-MDH对低温最敏感,1±1℃处理就能反映品种间耐寒力的差异。叶绿体和线粒体的NAD~+-MDH同工酶对低温的反应与活性变化一致,谱带数没有差异,只是活性降低。细胞溶质部分酶带较多,各条酶带对低温的反应不同。     

甲基苄基亚硝胺对与人、大鼠和鸡肝脏或食管上皮细胞混合培养的V_(79)细胞的致突变作用

用人,雄性Wistar大鼠和雄性莱亨鸡的肝细胞,或食管上皮细胞与V_(79)细胞混合培养,观察甲基苄基亚硝胺(MBN)经肝细胞或食管上皮细胞代谢后,能否产生活性代谢产物,从而诱导V_(79)细胞突变及其它有关的生物学反应。研究结果初步表明,大鼠和鸡肝细胞可以明显代谢MBN产生活性代谢产物,诱导混合培养的V_(79)细胞SCE和微核增高以及6-TG抗性突变。人胎儿肝细胞也可以代谢这种亚硝胺并诱导V_(79)细胞6-TG抗性突变,但对SCE和微核诱导明显偏低。说明这三种肝细胞代谢MBN在性质上是比较近似,可能在代谢激活程度上有一定差异。在食管上皮细胞和V_(79)细胞混合培养的实验中,大鼠食管上皮可以明显代谢MBN诱导V_(79)细胞SCE和微核的增高及6-TG抗性突变。鸡食管上皮细胞未见有明显的代谢MBN引起V_(79)细胞突变的作用。26只雄性莱亨鸡喂以MBN实验最长者达975天,总剂量为1674毫克,结果未见一例鸡发生食管癌。结果表明鸡的食管上皮可能对某些挥发性亚硝胺的致癌作用是不敏感的,目前没有证据支持在林县高发区中所发现的鸡咽食管癌是由于已找到的挥发性亚硝胺引起的。人食管上皮细胞具有一定的代谢MBN产生有致突变作用的代谢产物的能力,然而人与人之间有明显的个体差异。和大鼠相比,人食管代谢MBN诱导V_(79)细胞突变的能力明显较低,有关亚硝胺在高发区人食管癌发生中的作用还有待进一步深入研究。     

Studies of potential filaricides: Part 14--Activity of 1-iso-butoxycarbonyl-4-methylpiperazine against experimental filariasis

The synthesis and filaricidal activity of 1-iso-butoxycarbonyl-4-methylpiperazine against Litomosoides carinii in Sigmodon hispidus and Dipetalonema viteae in Mastomys natalensis is reported. At an intraperitoneal or oral dose of 3 mg/kg given for 6 days, the compound removed 91% of the circulating microfilariae but had no effect on adult L. carinii. However, it killed all microfilariae and adults of D. viteae at a subcutaneous dose of 50 mg/kg given for 6 days. The compound also possessed chemoprophylactic activity against the larvae of L. carinii and D. viteae at a dose of 30 and 50 mg/kg respectively.     

Changes in polyamines and related enzymes with loss of viability in rice seeds

Putrescine, spermidine and spermine of high vigour, low vigour and non-viable (classes 1, 2 and 3 respectively) seeds of Oryza sativa increased with loss of viability. The largest concentration of spermine was found in non-viable embryos. Spermine was absent in the husks of all the three categories of seeds. Arginine decarboxylase was greatest in high vigoured seeds and its activity gradually declined with loss of viability. However, diamine oxidase and polyamine oxidase activities gradually increased with the loss of viability of the seeds while DNA, RNA and protein contents decreased. The total content of polyamines increased on kinetin treatment but declined on ABA treatment. DNA, RNA and protein followed the same trend as polyamines. The polyamine contents increased by ca 3- and 4-fold, respectively, in high vigoured and low vigoured seeds on 10^?4 M kinetin treatment. The activity of ADC followed the same change as that of the polyamines in both cases, but the reverse was observed for the activities of diamine and polyamine oxidases.