Aluminium bone disease in patients receiving plasma exchange with contaminated albumin.

Aluminium balance studies were carried out on eight patients with various immunological disorders who were receiving plasma exchange with albumin solutions known to be contaminated with aluminium. Four patients with impaired renal function (creatinine clearance less than 50 ml/min) retained between 60% and 74% of the aluminium infused during a single plasma exchange. Transiliac bone biopsy specimens from three patients in this group had a high content of aluminium and showed histological evidence of current or previous bone disease related to aluminium. Two of these patients suffered intermittent bone pain. The main route of excretion of injected aluminium was in urine, only a small proportion of the total input being removed in the "plasma bag" during plasma exchange. The extent of aluminium retention and bone deposition was not reflected by the plasma aluminium concentration before or after plasma exchange. Treatment of five patients with intravenous desferrioxamine increased the plasma aluminium concentration and urinary output of aluminium in those with evidence of aluminium retention. These studies show that patients with poor renal function receiving treatment with albumin contaminated with aluminium retain the metal and deposit it in bone, where it may eventually cause aluminium bone disease. Plasma exchange should be used with caution in patients with renal impairment.     

Control analysis of mammalian serine biosynthesis. Feedback inhibition on the final step.

The flux of serine biosynthesis in the liver of the normal rabbit, and of the rat on a low protein diet, is most sensitive to the activity of phosphoserine phosphatase (flux control coefficient up to 0.97), the last of the three enzymes in the pathway after it branches from glycolysis. The concentration of the pathway product, serine, has a strong controlling influence on the flux (response coefficient up to -0.64) through feedback inhibition at this step. The pathway is therefore controlled primarily by the demand for serine rather than the supply of the pathway precursor, 3-phosphoglycerate. Under conditions where there is a lower biosynthetic flux, the flux control coefficients of the first two enzymes of the pathway are increased, and are probably dominant in the rat on a normal diet. In rabbit liver, when ethanol is used to inhibit serine biosynthesis, control can be distributed between the three enzymes, even though the reactions catalysed by the first two remain close to equilibrium. Apart from their intrinsic value in aiding the understanding of the regulation of mammalian serine metabolism, our findings illustrate the danger of assuming that there are invariant design principles in the regulation of metabolic pathways, such as feedback control on the first step after a branch.     

Modification of hepatic folate metabolism in rats fed excess retinol

Feeding rats a diet containing 1000 IU of retinol/g diet enhances the folate-dependent oxidation to CO2 of formate and histidine. The activity of hepatic methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase, which plays a critical role in the regulation of liver folate metabolism, is suppressed in these animals, resulting in decreased 5-methyltetrahydrofolate synthesis. This ensures a greater concentration of hepatic tetrahydrofolate, the coenzyme on which formate and histidine oxidation depend, but also compromises the level of S-adenosylmethionine in the liver.     

Effect of contractile activity on rat skeletal muscle beta-adrenoceptor properties

The effect of fiber type and endurance exercise training on skeletal muscle beta-adrenoceptor properties were assessed using a direct radioligand binding technique. Six separate muscles, composed of a variety of different fiber types, were examined in treadmill trained and sedentary rats. In trained animals, sarcolemmal preparations from heart and slow twitch soleus muscle exhibited a significantly greater receptor concentration than membranes from white fast twitch glycolytic fibers of the vastus lateralis. No significant changes were observed between trained and sedentary rat muscle beta-adrenoceptor density (beta max, fmole/mg protein) or affinity (Kd, nM) within each muscle type, despite significantly increased myocardial/body weight ratios and skeletal muscle enzyme adaptations associated with the exercise program. These results suggest that muscle beta-adrenoceptor properties may be influenced in part by the motor nerve innervation to that muscle, and are further discussed with respect to a possible relationship between exercise intensity and receptor regulation.     

Emergency queen cell production in the honey bee colony

Summary Emergency queen cell production was examined in honey bee colonies of mixed European races. Thirteen colonies were dequeened and followed on a daily basis until after queen emergence. Observations were made on the number of cells, the temporal sequence of queen cell construction, cell location within the nest, the age of larvæ selected for queen rearing, mortality of immature queens and the scenting behavior of workers in queenless colonies.Queen loss was detected within 6–12 hours and was first indicated by an increase in scenting behavior (on colony disturbance) and queen cup construction. The number of scenting workers reached a peak in 12–24 hours and then declined, as queen cell numbers increased. The time of queen cell initiation varied from 12–48 hours in different colonies. Emergency queen cells were usually started over worker larvæ less than 2 days of age (64.7%), but cells were built over 3 (25.3%) and 4 (10.0%) day old larvæ. Only 2 of 268 cells (0.8 %) were started over eggs; one survived and developed into a drone larva. In 6 colonies emergency queen cells were started over drone larvæ but these were destroyed immediately before or shortly after capping. The overall rate for queen cell construction over drone larvæ was 9.3%.The rate at which new queen cells were started after queen loss was high for two to four days, but then declined although new queen cells were started as late as eight or nine days after queen removal. The number of cells produced by a colony usually peaked by the third or fourth day and then leveled. Slight declines in total cell number often occurred because of cell mortality. The number of queen cells started by colonies varied from 11–49 with a mean of 20.4; cell mortality averaged 39.1%. Queen cells were well distributed throughout the brood nest but placement was biased toward the bottom of the frames and away from the entrance.

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Production de cellules royales après orphelinage accidentel dans des colonies d'abeilles à miel

Resume La production de cellules royales après orphelinage accidentel fut examinée dans des colonies d'abeilles de différentes races européennes. Treize colonies ont été quotidiennement placées dans un orphelinat expérimental après l'apparition d'une nouvelle reine. Des observations ont été faites sur le nombre de cellules, le timing de la reconstruction des cellules royales, l'emplacement des cellules à l'intérieur du nid, l'âge des larves sélectionnées en vue de l'élevage des reines, le taux de mortalité des cellules et le phénomène d'exhibition de la glande de Nassanoff des ouvrières dans les colonies orphelines.On a pu détecter la perte d'une reine après 6 à 12 heures; celle-ci fut tout d'abord indiquée par le fait qu'un certain nombre d'abeilles exhibent leur organe odorant lors de l'ouverture de la ruche, et l'élaboration de la cupule royale. Le nombre des ouvrières exposées a atteint son record entre 12 et 24 heures puis s'est mis à décroître, alors que les cellules royales augmentaient. Le temps requis pour l'initiation des cellules royales a varié entre 12 et 48 heures, selon les colonies. Les cellules royales de remplacement ont commencé ordinairement à se former sur des larves d'ouvrières de moins de 2 jours (64,7%), mais des cellules se sont développées sur des larves âgées de 3 (25,3%) à 4 jours (10,0%). Sur 268 cellules, 2 étaient uniquement formées à partir d'ufs, dont un seul survivait et devenait une larve mâle. Dans six des colonies, des cellules royales se sont développées à partir de larves mâles, mais celles-ci furent immédiatement détruites soit avant, soit juste après l'operculation. Le taux de développement de cellules royales était de 9,3% par rapport aux cellules mâles.Le taux de développement de nouvelles cellules royales après la perte d'une reine a été assez élevé pendant une période de 2 à 4 jours, mais s'est mis à décroître bien que de nouvelles cellules royales se formaient entre 8 et 9 jours après le début de l'orphelinage. Nous avons noté un taux record de cellules produites par une colonie vers le 3^e ou 4^e jour, qui s'est ensuite réparti de façon plus égale. Le taux de mortalité des cellules a alors provoqué la baisse du nombre total des cellules. Le nombre des cellules royales des colonies a varié entre 11 et 49, c'est-à-dire une moyenne de 20,4; le taux de mortalité des cellules s'est avéré de 39,1%. Les cellules royales étaient bien distribuées dans tout le nid à couvain, mais surtout vers le fond du cadre, et loin de l'entrée de la ruche.

     

Systematic placement of the basidiomycetous yeastCystofilobasidium lari-marini comb. nov. as predicted by rRNA nucleotide sequence analysis

Based on similarities in basidial morphology and nucleotide sequences of the V3 variable region in the large sub-unit ribosomal RNA, the yeastLeucosporidium lari-marini is considered phylogenetically related to the genusCystofilobasidium. Therefore the new combinationCystofilobasidium lari-marini is proposed.     

Distribution and ecology of freshwater sponges in Connecticut

A survey of Connecticut lakes and rivers revealed the presence of 7 species of freshwater sponge: Spongilla lacustris, Ephydatia muelleri, Eunapius fragilis, Anheteromeyenia ryderi, A. argyrosperma, Corvomeyenia carolinensis, and Corvospongilla novaeterrae in order of decreasing frequency of occurrence. Corvomeyenia carolinensis has not been reported previously beyond its type locality in South Carolina. In addition, microscleres of Spongilla lacustris, Anheteromeyenia-like megascleres, Ephydatia muelleri-like megascleres, and smooth megascleres (amphioxeas), which could not be assigned to a particular species, were found in surface sediments from lake cores. Spongilla lacustris inhabiting small rivers produced brown, thick-capsuled gemmules during the summer and yellow, thin-capsuled gemmules during the fall. The thick-capsuled gemmules, but not the thin-capsuled gemmules, are tolerant of desiccation; and populations of Spongilla lacustris and Ephydatia muelleri survived severe drying of their habitats during the summer.