Isolation and identification of seven metabolites of 25-hydroxydihydrotachysterol3 formed in the isolated perfused rat kidney: a model for the study of side-chain metabolism of vitamin D

The in vivo metabolism of dihydrotachysterol3, an analogue of vitamin D3 and a potent calcemic factor, has been studied in the rat. This in vivo metabolism is compared to the in vitro metabolism of 25-hydroxydihydrotachysterol3 in the perfused rat kidney. Using mass spectrometry and ultraviolet spectroscopy, we have identified seven novel metabolites derived from 25-hydroxydihydrotachysterol3. The seven compounds represent intermediates on two renal pathways (24-oxidation and 26,23-lactone formation) also observed for 25-hydroxyvitamin D3. No evidence was found for the renal synthesis of a 1-hydroxylated metabolite of 25-hydroxydihydrotachysterol3 analogous to the hormone 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3. Two of the compounds formed in vitro, 24,25-dihydroxydihydrotachysterol3 and 25-hydroxydihydrotachysterol 26,23-lactone, were also formed in vivo. In vivo studies also revealed the formation of two other unidentified metabolites which are presumed to be formed nonrenally and may be calcemic factors. This work shows that dihydrotachysterol3 metabolism is complex and probably utilizes the same side-chain enzymes as vitamin D3. In addition, our work also confirms that intermediates postulated to lie on pathways to 26,23-lactone in the vitamin D3 series are also formed for the side chain in dihydrotachysterol3.     

Stable isotope-labeled vitamin D, metabolites and chemical analogs: synthesis and use in mass spectrometric studies

Methods for the measurement of vitamin D and its metabolites using stable isotope-labeled internal standards and mass spectrometry are reviewed. The synthesis of both labeled and unlabeled standards is illustrated, and details of the synthesis of (26,26,27,27,27(-2)H5)-25,26-dihydroxyvitamin D3 and (28,28,28(-2)H3)-24,25-dihydroxyvitamin D2 are given. The use of in vitro biologic systems for the production of further metabolites of deuterated 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 is discussed. Use of deuterated 25-hydroxydihydrotachysterol3 as a substrate in the isolated perfused rat kidney has provided valuable data for the assignment of structure to a number of metabolites of 25-hydroxydihydrotachysterol3 formed in this system.     

Billingen (Lower Arenig/Lower Ordovician) acritarchs from the East European Platform and their palaeobiogeographic significance

Billingen (Lower Arenig/Lower Ordovician) sediments of the St. Petersburg region, northwest Russia and the Leba area, northern Poland of the East European Craton yield acritarch assemblages, which are largely homogenous though displaying minor compositional differences that probably reflect a gradient from inner to outer shelf environments. Comparison with coeval acritarch microflora from the Yangtze Platform, South China, shows an overall similarity between Baltoscandian and South Chinese phytoplankton. The widespread uniformity in the fossil microphytoplankton may be related to the extensive global 'evae' sea-level transgression, which characterized the Billingen time. This suggests that during the Tremadoc through early Arenig times, acritarch assemblages displayed essentially an undifferentiated cold-water and oceanic character along the whole margin of Perigondwana in the South, as well as on the South Chinese and Baltic platforms, at middle latitudes (Mediterranean oceanic Realm). Despite this overall similarity, however, some typical taxa of the high-latitude Mediterranean Province (Arbusculidium, Coryphidium and Striatotheca) occur in South China, but are absent in Baltica. This discrepancy is explained as caused by differences in climatic and physiographic conditions that prevailed at the two palaeocontinents at this time. The inferred pattern of oceanic circulation during the Lower Ordovician is consistent with the palynological evidence of a prevailing warmer climate in Baltica than in South China, although the two palaeocontinents occupied the same palaeolatitudinal position.     

The protective role of metallothionein in copper overload: I. Differential distribution of immunoreactive metallothionein in copper-loaded rat liver and kidney

The cytotoxicity of copper is probably determined by its molecular association and subcellular localisation rather than its concentration within tissues. Metallothionein (MT) is a copper binding protein distributed between the particulate and soluble cellular components. The role of MT in conferring protection to the copper-loaded rat has been investigated by comparing the distribution of the immunoreactive protein between the soluble and particulate fractions of liver and kidney during the development of copper tolerance. Young male Wistar rats were fed a high copper (1 g/kg) diet for 16 weeks and killed sequentially during this period; liver and kidneys were retained. Pellet and supernatant preparations from homogenised, pooled samples of liver and kidney were subjected to chromatographic separation. Copper and zinc were analysed in whole tissue, homogenates and eluant fractions and MT identified likewise using an enzyme-linked immunoassay. Copper accumulated for 5 weeks in the liver falling subsequently accompanied by similar changes in MT content. Kidney copper and MT rose to maximum concentrations at 8 weeks and were maintained thereafter. Substantial differences were apparent in the relative distribution of MT between the two organs. MT was the major, predominantly cytosolic, copper-binding protein in the kidney but in the liver immunoreactive MT was pelleted and present in lower concentration than the high molecular weight cuproproteins. It was concluded that whilst MT plays a role in the detoxification and adaptation of rats to copper-loading the regulatory functions of liver and kidney may differ significantly in this respect.     

Tissue section AFM: In situ ultrastructural imaging of native biomolecules

Conventional approaches for ultrastructural high-resolution imaging of biological specimens induce profound changes in bio-molecular structures. By combining tissue cryo-sectioning with non-destructive atomic force microscopy (AFM) imaging we have developed a methodology that may be applied by the non-specialist to both preserve and visualize bio-molecular structures (in particular extracellular matrix assemblies) in situ. This tissue section AFM technique is capable of: i) resolving nm–µm scale features of intra- and extracellular structures in tissue cryo-sections; ii) imaging the same tissue region before and after experimental interventions; iii) combining ultrastructural imaging with complimentary microscopical and micromechanical methods. Here, we employ this technique to: i) visualize the macro-molecular structures of unstained and unfixed fibrillar collagens (in skin, cartilage and intervertebral disc), elastic fibres (in aorta and lung), desmosomes (in nasal epithelium) and mitochondria (in heart); ii) quantify the ultrastructural effects of sequential collagenase digestion on a single elastic fibre; iii) correlate optical (auto fluorescent) with ultrastructural (AFM) images of aortic elastic lamellae.     

Cyrtocrinids (Echinodermata,Crinoidea) from Upper Jurassic Štramberk‐type limestones in southern Poland

Abstract: A systematic account of highly diverse cyrtocrinid faunules from Upper Jurassic strata of ?tramberk type (Oxfordian–Tithonian) in southern Poland (Polish Carpathians) is presented. Fourteen taxa (Phyllocrinus malbosianus, Ph. stellaris, Ph. sp., Psalidocrinus armatus, Sclerocrinus compressus, S. polonicus sp. nov., Hemicrinus aff. kabanovi, Ancepsicrinus parvus gen. et sp. nov., Tetracrinus baumilleri sp. nov., Eugeniacrinites alexandrowiczi, E. cf. moravicus, E. sp., Eudesicrinus gluchowskii sp. nov. and Hemibrachiocrinus tithonicus sp. nov. are described and illustrated. Representatives of the genus Eudesicrinus, previously recorded only from the Lower Jurassic, are here shown to extend into the uppermost Jurassic. Other cyrtocrinids considered are common in Jurassic/Cretaceous strata across Europe. In the present faunules, isocrinid (Isocrinida), comatulid (Comatulida) and roveacrinid (Roveacrinida sensu Rasmussen, inclusive of Saccocoma) crinoids are associated.