Biological effects of D2O administration to Coturnix japonica

Levels of 7.8, 18.5 and 26 mole % deuterium oxide were administered sequentially to $\text{Coturnix japonica}$ (Japanese quail) via the drinking water. The primary effect observed was on egg frequency, which decreased from a normal level of 0.89 for 7.8 mole % D₂O to a low of 0.38 during the administration of 26 mole % D₂O. Adverse symptoms, such as hyperexcitability, convulsions, skin ulcerations, comatosity, weight loss, or death, which have been associated with deuterium toxicity in other animals, were not observed in these experiments. The amount of deuterium deposited in the water of the egg was 6.9, 13.98, and 19.83 mole % when 7.8, 18.5 and 26 mole % deuterium respectively was administered. For each period, the deuterium content of egg water rapidly reached a maximum concentration after which the concentration decreased slightly. This dilution effect has not been noted previously in body fluids from other animals.     

Procedure and Analysis of a Useful Method in Determining Mycelial Dry Weights from Agar Plates

The evaluation of growth by dry weight determination of fungus mycelium for agar plates was examined. The data obtained were statistically analyzed. This method was shown to be sufficiently accurate to be used as an investigative tool.     

Contribution à la connaissance de la faune parasitaire d' Argentine,XV. Etude morphologique de Heteroxynema (Cavioxyura) viscaciae n. sp. (Nematoda,Heteroxynematidae) parasite de Lagidium viscacia boxi (Mammalia,Rodentia)

Résumé Heteroxynema (Cavioxyura) viscaciae n. sp., parasite du caecum et du gros intestin d'un rongeur caviomorphe d' Argentine, Lagidium viscacia boxi Thomas, est décrit. Cette nouvelle espèce est très proche de Heteroxynema (Cavioxyura) chiliensis Quentin, 1975, parasite d' Octodon degus (Molina) au Chili, dont elle se distingue essentiellement par ses mensurations et par la disposition de certaines papilles génitales des mâles. L'étude de cette nouvelle espèce montre l'existence: (i) au niveau des structures buccales d'un dimorphisme sexuel d'un type peu fréquent chez les Oxyuroidea; (ii) de quatre paires seulement de papilles génitales mâles voisinant avec des reliefs cuticulaires qui, dans d'autres espèces, ont peut-être été confondus avec des terminaisons nerveuses supplémentaires; (iii) d'un gubernaculum et d'un spicule, organes rarement observés chez les Heteroxynematidae, mais dont la présence dans d'autres espèces du groupe pourrait avoir été ignorée; (iv) au niveau de l'ovéjecteur, d'un sphincter particulièrement différencié et développé.

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Heteroxynema (Cavioxyura) viscaciae n. sp., parasitic in the caecum and large intestine of Lagidium viscacia boxi Thomas, is described. The most closely related species is Heteroxynema (Cavioxyura) chiliensis Quentin, 1975, a parasite of Octodon degus (Molina) from Chile, from which the new species differs by its measurements and disposition of the male's genital papillae. Study of this new species shows the existence of: (i) a type of sexual dimorphism infrequent in the Oxyuroidea, at the level of the buccal structures; (ii) only four pairs of male genital papillae adjoining cuticular protuberances which in other species may have been confused with supplementary nerve endings; (iii) a gubernaculum and a spicule, structures infrequently observed in the Heteroxynematidae, and possibly overlooked or ignored in other species; (iv) a sphincter which is strongly differentiated and developed.

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Resumen Se describe a Heteroxynema (Cavioxyura) viscaciae n. sp. paràsito del ciego intestino grueso del rodeor Lagidium viscacia boxi Thomas. Esta nueva especie se asemeja a Heteroxynema (Cavioxyura) chiliensis Quentin, 1975, paràsito de Octodon degus (Molina) de Chile de la cual se diferencie esencialmente por sus medidas y por la disposicion de las papilas genitales del macho. El estudio de esta nueva especie muestra la existencia de: (i) un tipo poco frecuente en los Oxyuroidea de dimorfismo sexual a nivel de las estructuras bucales; (ii) cuatro pares de papilas genitales en el macho ubicadas proximas a relieves cuticulares que en otras especies pueden haber sido confundidos con terminaciones nerviosas suplementarias; (iii) de un gubernàculo y una espicula, organos raramente observables en los Heteroxynematidae, pero cuya presencia en otras especies del grupo pudo haber sido ignorada; (iv) de un sphincter particularmente diferenciado y desarollado.

     

The effect of salinity on the composition of fatty acid double-bond isomers andsn-1/sn-2 positional distribution in membrane phospholipids of a moderately halophilic eubacterium

We report the first study of the effect of NaCl on the double-bond isomeric composition of fatty acids and theirsn-1/sn-2 positional distribution in the membrane phospholipids of a moderately halophilic eubacterium. The major phospholipids, phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylglycerol, ofVibrio costicola grown in 1M or 3M NaCl both have ansn-1 saturated,sn-2 unsaturated distribution of fatty acids. There is a greater effect of salinity on the fatty acid composition of phosphatidylglycerol compared with phosphatidylethanolamine. The fatty acids in phosphatidylethanolamine of cultures grown in 1M compared with 3M NaCl have the same unsaturation index and average chain length, but different double-bond isomeric compositions. In comparison, the fatty acid composition of phosphatidylglycerol is more unsaturated, with a different double-bond isomeric distribution, and has a shorter average chain length in cultures grown in 3M compared with 1M NaCl. The pattern of fatty acid isomers of 16:1 and 18:1 shows thatV. costicola uses the anaerobic pathway of fatty acid biosynthesis. The presence of the isomers 16:1c11 and 18:1c13 in the phospholipids of cultures grown in 3M but not in 1M NaCl indicates that external salinity affects the specificity of fatty acid synthetase in this moderately halophilic bacterium.     

Polyploid cells in blastocysts and early fetuses from Australian Merino sheep

Cytogenetic examination was made of 103 13-14-day-old blastocysts and 116 24-32-day-old fetuses from untreated and androstenedione-7-HSA-immunized Merino ewes. There were no differences in the chromosome composition of blastocysts or fetuses from treated or untreated ewes and so the data were combined. At Days 13-14 a 1N/2N mosaic and a 2N - 1/2N/4N mosaic embryo were observed. In addition, 52 of the blastocysts were 2N/4N mosaics, with 8 of these also containing 8N cells, and one blastocyst was a 2N/8N mosaic. No aneuploid fetuses were observed, but 80 of the 116 fetuses contained polyploid cells, including 4N, 6N and 8N cells. The polyploid cells observed in the blastocysts and fetuses should not be considered as abnormal cells as they appear to be a normal part of the developmental processes leading to trophoblast formation and fetal differentiation.     

Naphthofuranone phytoalexins from the grey mangrove, Avicennia marina

Infection of wound tissue of Avicennia marina seedlings by a fungus belonging to the genus Phytophthora induced the production of three chemically-related phytoalexins. After isolation by extraction, partition HPLC separation, one was identified as naphtho[1,2-b]furan-4,5-dione, and the other two tentatively as 3-hydroxynaphtho[1,2-b]furan-4,5-dione and 2-[2′-(2′-hydroxy)propyl]-naphtho[1,2-b]furan-4,5-dione.     

Tyrosine-311 of a beta chain is the essential residue specifically modified by 4-chloro-7-nitrobenzofurazan in bovine heart mitochondrial ATPase

A peptide containing an essential tyrosine residue, modified with the nitrobenzofurazan group, has been purified from bovine heart mitochondrial ATPase. The composition of the peptide indicates that this tyrosine is residue 311 in the sequence of a beta chain. The problem of the instability of the tyrosyl-nitrobenzofurazan bond was overcome by working throughout at relatively acidic pH and using pepsin digestion of the enzyme.     

Age,smoking habits,heat stress,and their interactive effects with carbon monoxide and peroxyacetylnitrate on man's aerobic power

Metabolic, body temperature, and cardiorespiratory responses of 16 healthy middle-aged (40–57 years) men, 9 nonsmokers and 7 smokers, were obtained during tests of maximal aerobic power at ambient environmental temperatures of 25 ± 0.5 and 35 ± 0.5°C and 20% relative humidity under four conditions: (a) filtered air, FA; (b) 50 ppm carbon monoxide in filtered air, CO; (c) 0.27 ppm peroxyacetylnitrate in filtered air, PAN; and (d) a combination of all three mixtures, PANCO. There was no significant change in maximum aerobic power \(\left( {\dot VO2max} \right)\) related to the presence of air pollutants, although total working time was lowered in the 25°C environment while breathing CO. Older nonsmokers did have a decrement in \(\left( {\dot VO2max} \right)\) while breathing 50 ppm CO, while older smokers failed to show any change. This difference was related to the initial COHb levels of the smokers, who, when breathing this level of ambient CO, had only a 14% increase in COHb over their initial levels in contrast to the 200% increase in the nonsmokers. Smoking habits were the most influential factor affecting the cardiorespiratory responses of these older men to maximal exercise. Regardless of ambient conditions, smokers had a significantly lower (27%) aerobic power than nonsmokers, were breathing closer to their maximal breathing capacities throughout the walk, and had a higher respiratory exchange ratio. While the \(\left( {\dot VO2max} \right)\) of nonsmokers was only 6% less than that of younger nonsmoking males ( \(\bar x\) age = 25 years) working under similar conditions, the aerobic power of the older smokers was 26% lower than that of young smokers ( \(\bar x\) age = 24 years).