Combined effects of chlorpromazine and high fat diet on lipid levels and enzyme activities in bile, liver and plasma of Wistar rats

The effects of high fat diet and injection of chlorpromazine on bile lipid secretion were studied in the rats fed a control diet (C), a saturated fat, high cholesterol diet (S) and a polyunsaturated fat, high cholesterol diet (PU). As compared to controls, injection of chlorpromazine in the S and PU diet groups caused no appreciable change in the level of bile salts and bile phospholipids. Chlorpromazine did however enhance bile cholesterol, especially in the PU group, and lower secretion of lysosomal enzyme (beta-glucuronidase) into bile. Impairment of lysosomal enzyme secretion but not of bile lipid secretion suggests that the lysosomal activity is not directly involved in the bile secretion mechanism. These data point up the risks of using chlorpromazine therapy in association with a diet high in fat and cholesterol.     

Regulation of chloroplast metabolism in leaves: Evidence that NADP-dependent glyceraldehydephosphate dehydrogenase,but not ferredoxin-NADP reductase,controls electron flow to phosphoglycerate in the dark-light transition

P₇₀₀ is rapidly, but only transiently photooxidized upon illuminating dark-adapted leaves. Initial oxidation is followed by a reductive phase even under far-red illumination which excites predominantly photosystem (PS) I. In this phase, oxidized P₇₀₀ is reduced by electrons coming from PSII. Charge separation in the reaction center of PSI is prevented by the unavailability of electron acceptors on the reducing side of PSI. It is subsequently made possible by the opening of an electron gate which is situated between PSI and the electron acceptor phosphoglycerate. Electron acceptors immediately available for reduction while the gate is closed corresponded to 10 nmol · (mg chlorophyll)^–1 electrons in geranium leaves, 16 nmol · (mg chlorophyll)^–1 in sunflower and 22 nmol · (mg chlorophyll)^–1 in oleander. Reduction of NADP during the initial phase of P₇₀₀ oxidation showed that the electron gate was not represented by ferredoxin-NADP reductase. Availability of ATP indicated that electron flow was not hindered by deactivation of the thylakoid ATP synthetase. It is concluded that NADP-dependent glyceraldehydephosphate dehydrogenase is completely deactivated in the dark and activated in the light. The rate of activation depends on the length of the preceding dark period. As chloroplasts contain both NAD- and NADP-dependent glyceraldehydephosphate dehydrogenases, deactivation of the NADP-dependent enzyme disconnects chloroplast NAD and NADP systems and prevents phosphoglycerate reduction in the dark at the expense of NADPH and ATP which are generated by glucose-6-phosphate oxidation and glycolytic starch breakdown, respectively.Abbreviations Chl chlorophyll - P₇₀₀ electron donor pigment in the reaction center of photosystem I Cooperation of the Institute of Botany of the University of Würzburg with the Institute of Astrophysics and Atmospheric Physics of the Estonian Academy of Sciences in Tartu was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft and the Estonian Academy of Sciences. This work was performed within the Sonderforschungsbereich 251 of the University of Würzburg.     

Oscillations in photosynthesis are initiated and supported by imbalances in the supply of ATP and NADPH to the Calvin cycle

Oscillations in the rate of photosynthesis of sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) leaves were induced by subjecting leaves, whose photosynthetic apparatus had been activated, to a sudden transition from darkness or low light to high-intensity illumination, or by transfering them in the light from air to an atmosphere containing saturating CO₂. It was found that at the first maximum, light-and CO₂-saturated photosynthesis can be much faster than steady-state photosynthesis. Both Q_A in the reaction center of PS II and P₇₀₀ in the reaction center of PS I of the chloroplast electron-transport chain were more oxidized during the maxima of photosynthesis than during the minima. Maxima of P₇₀₀ oxidation slightly preceded maxima in photosynthesis. During a transition from low to high irradiance, the assimilatory force F_A, which was calculated from ratios of dihydroxyacetone phosphate to phosphoglycerate under the assumption that the reactions catalyzed by NADP-dependent glyceraldehydephosphate dehydrogenase, phosphoglycerate kinase and triosephosphate isomerase are close to equilibrium, oscillated in parallel with photosynthesis. However, only one of its components, the calculated phosphorylation potential (ATP)/(ADP)(P_i), paralleled photosynthesis, whereas calculated NADPH/NADP ratios exhibited antiparallel behaviour. When photosynthetic oscillations were initiated by a transition from low to high CO₂, the assimilatory force F_A declined, was very low at the first minimum of photosynthesis and increased as photosynthesis rose to its second maximum. The observations indicate that the minima in photosynthesis are caused by lack of ATP. This leads to overreduction of the electron-transport chain which is indicated by the reduction of P₇₀₀. During photosynthetic oscillations the chloroplast thylakoid system is unable to adjust the supply of ATP and NADPH rapidly to demand at the stoichiometric relationship required by the carbonreduction cycle.Abbreviations PGA 3-phosphoglycerate - DHAP dihydroxyacetone phosphate - P₇₀₀ electron-donor pigment in the reaction enter of PS I - Q_A quinone acceptor in the reaction center of PS II This work received support from the Estonian Academy of Sciences, the Bavarian Ministry of Science and Art and the Sonderforschungsbereich 251 of the University of Würzburg. We are grateful for criticism by D.A. Walker, Robert Hill Institute, University of Sheffield, U.K. and by Mark Stitt, Institute of Botany, University of Heidelberg, FRG.     

In vitro synthesis of full-length influenza virus complementary RNA.

Influenza virus-specific RNA has been synthesized in vitro, using cytoplasmic or microsomal fractions of influenza virus-infected MDCK cells. The RNA polymerase activity was stimulated 5-30 times by priming with ApG. About 20-30% of the product was polyadenylated. Most of the in vitro product was of positive polarity, as shown by hybridization to strand specific probes and by T1 fingerprinting of the poly(A)+ and poly(A)- RNA segments encoding haemagglutinin and nucleoprotein. The size of poly(A)- RNA segments, determined on sequencing gels, was indistinguishable from that of virion RNA, whereas poly(A)+ RNA segments contain poly(A) tails approximately 50 nucleotides long. The size of in vitro synthesized RNA segments was also determined by gel electrophoresis of S1-treated double-stranded RNAs, obtained by hybridization of poly(A)+ or poly(A)- RNA fractions with excess of unlabelled virion RNA. The results of these experiments indicate that poly(A)- RNA contains full-length complementary RNA. This conclusion is further substantiated by the presence of additional oligonucleotides in the T1 fingerprints of in vitro synthesized poly(A)- haemagglutinin or nucleoprotein RNA, selected by hybridization to cloned DNA probes corresponding to the 3' termini of the genes.     

A quantitative dynamic concept of the interphase partition of lipids: application to bile salt-lecithin-cholesterol mixed micelles

A system is proposed for a quantitative classification of lipids, based on interphase partition coefficients. This system enables calculation of exchanges of lipid molecules between phases. The mass/volume chemical unit mol X cm-3, strictly derived from the CGS system, is used, thus simplifying mathematical relations. Applied to bile salt-lecithin-cholesterol mixed micelles, this dynamic concept gives new insight into the variations of physico-chemical parameters. Experimental results obtained with the glycodesoxycholate and the taurocholate show a striking difference in partition coefficients between aqueous and mixed bile salt-lecithin interfacial phases. A new model applying triangular co-ordinates to a bile salt-lecithin-cholesterol mixed lipid phase is described.