Allometric analysis of the morphometric pulmonary diffusing capacity in dogs

The lung volume, the morphometrically determined alveolar and capillary surface area, and the capillary volume of 27 dogs (weight 2.65–57 kg) all were linearly correlated with body weight. The thickness of the air-blood barrier increased only slightly with increasing body size. The structural diffusing capacity, containing these parameters, was used to estimate the gas exchange capabilities of the lung and was also found to scale in direct proportion to body size. This coincides with reports on physiologically estimated diffusing capacity but is obviously different from the interspecies slope for metabolism which scales to the 3/4 power of body weight.     

Ultrastrukturen Und Cytochemie Der Pellikula Und Des Apikalkomplexes Der Kineten Von Babesia Bigemina Und Babesia Ovis In Hämolymphe Und Ovar Von Zecken*,†

SYNOPSIS The term kinete is used in this paper for the cigar-shaped, motile development stages (“vermicule”) of Babesia occurring intra- and extracellularly in hemolymph and ovary (including oocytes) of vectors, hard ticks (Ixodoidea). The structure of, and cyto-chemical activities of hydrolases (acid phosphatase, nonspecific esterase) in the pellicle and the apical complex were studied at the fine-structural level in kinetes of Babesia bigemina Smith & Kilborne, in hemolymph of female Boophilus microplus Canestrini. The cytochemistry of acid hydrolases was studied also in kinetes of Babesia ovis (Babes) Starcovici, in hemolymph and ovary of Rhipi-cephultis bursa Canestrini & Fanzago. The pellicle of the B. bigemina kinetes is composed of 3 membranes (pellicular complex): an outer membrane, ?8 nm thick (the plasmalemma) and 2 inner ones, each ?6 nm thick, lying closely together. The outer membrane appears to be covered by a structureless coat, 3 nm thick. The space between the inner double membrane and the plasmalemma is 7.5 nm. The whole pellicular complex is 30 nm in diameter. The 2 inner pellicular membranes appear to be derived from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) for the following reasons: (a) a layer of hydrolase-active material is enclosed by these membranes; (b) in the spheroid parasite stages which transform from kinetes inside hemocytes, the inner double membrane is apparently replaced by an ER cisterna; (c) the thickness of each of the inner pellicular membranes is approximately the same as that of the ER membrane. There are circular openings in the pellicular double membrane with average diameters of 100 nm; despite some similarity to micropores, they have a specific structure. The term Intrapellikularfenster (IPF) (intrapellicular windows) or pseudomicropores is proposed for these pellicular differentiations. The margin of an FPF is formed by the 2 inner membranes folding into each other; cytoplasmic, electron-dense material is accumulated alongside this edge. Unlike that of micropores, the plasmalemma of the IPF is not invaginated. The IPF appears as a single, dark ring in tangential sections. At times, rhoptry-like bodies are associated with the openings. The function of the IPF is not known. An intrapellicular opening similar to the IPF, although wider, is present at the apex of the parasite. Its margin coincides with the inner edge of the apical ring. Typical subpellicular microtubuli were not observed in the Babesia kinetes. The apical complex of the B. bigemina kinetes consists of an Apikalschirm (apical umbrella), a crown of microtubuli beneath it, and rhoptries: micronemes are also present in large numbers. The Apikalschirm is located beneath the pellicle of the apical pole of the parasite. It is a wheel-like structure composed of spokes radiating from a wide, hub-like central ring (apical ring). It should be stressed that the apical ring is not identical with the polar ring described as an integral part of the pellicular complex in other Apicomplexa. Beneath each “rib” of the Apikalschirm there is one microtubule (subcostal microtubule). In kinetes of B. ovis the “ribs” are less well developed. In addition, the Apikalschirm is more pointed in kinetes of this species in tick oocytes and ova. The rhoptries of the kinetes are spindle-shaped and largely located directly beneath the Apikalschirm. They are arranged radially, each row being associated with a “rib”. A conoid was not observed. Occasionally, low hydrolytic activity could be detected in micronemes. The rhoptries and the Apikalschirm were always negative for phosphatase and esterase activity. With regard to the number and arrangement of its membranes and to its hydrolase activity, the pellicle of the kinetes of Babesia closely resembles the pellicular complex of the Coccidia. It differs from the latter by the presence of the IFF and by the lack of micropores and of true subpellicular microtubules. In the complexity of their pellicle and in some details of the organization of their apical complex (lack of a conoid; umbrella-like structure), the kinetes of Babesia resemble the ookinetes of the Haemosporidia.     

Effects of Constant and Variable Nitrogen Supply on Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) Leaf Cell Number and Size

The effects of nitrogen (N) availability on cell number andcell size, and the contribution of these determinants to thefinal area of fully expanded leaves of sunflower (Helianthusannuus L.) were investigated in glasshouse experiments. Plantswere given a high (N =315 ppm) or low (N=21 ppm) N supply andwere transferred between N levels at different developmentalstages (5 to 60% of final size) of target leaves. The dynamicsof cell number in unemerged (< 0.01 m in length) leaves ofplants growing at high and low levels of N supply were alsofollowed. Maximum leaf area (LA_max) was strongly (up to two-fold)and significantly modified by N availability and the timingof transfer between N supplies, through effects on leaf expansionrate. Rate of cell production was significantly (P<0.05)reduced in unemerged target leaves under N stress, but therewas no evidence of a change in primordium size or in the durationof the leaf differentiation–emergence phase. In fullyexpanded leaves, number of cells per leaf (N_cell), leaf areaper cell (LA_cell) and cell area (A_cell) were significantly reducedby N stress. WhileLA_cell and A_cellresponded to changeover treatmentsirrespective of leaf size, significant (P<0.05) changes inN_cellonly occurred when the changeover occurred before the leafreached approx. 10% of LA_max. There were no differential effectsof N on numbers of epidermal vs. mesophyll cells. The resultsshow that the effects of N on leaf size are largely due to effectson cell production in the unemerged leaf and on both cell productionand expansion during the first phase of expansion of the emergedleaf. During the rest of the expansion period N mainly affectsthe expansion of existing cells. Cell area plasticity permitteda response to changes in N supply even at advanced stages ofleaf expansion. Increased cell expansion can compensate forlow N_cellif N stress is relieved early in the expansion of emergedleaves, but in later phases N_cellsets a limit to this response.Copyright 1999 Annals of Botany Company Helianthus annuus, leaf expansion, leaf cell number, leaf cell size, nitrogen, leaf growth, sunflower.     

Indirect Immunofluorescence Microscopy of Microtubular Structures in Male Germ Cells of Wildtype and l(3)pl (lethal-polyploid) Drosophila hydei

Tubulin-containing structures of the male germ cells of Drosophila hydei crossreact in indirect immu-nofluorescence microscopy with antibody directed against homogeneous porcine brain tubulin. There is no detectable difference in reactivity between germ cells of wildtype flies and the mutant l(3)pl (lethal-polyploid) which is characterized by microtubular abnormalities. However, the technique of indirect immunofluorescence microscopy allows the direct visualization of several abnormalities in the arrangement of the microtubular system of the mutant, particularly in the axonemal complex.     

EA rosette forming lymphoid cells: distribution as to cell types and organs from chickens of different developmental stages.

The interaction of chicken spleen cells with sheep erythrocytes coated with chicken antibody (EA complexes) was studied using a rosette assay. The results reported in this paper indicate that subpopulations of chicken lymphocytes, monocytes, and heterophils have a receptor for EA. The formation of rosettes between chicken lymphoid cells and sheep erythrocytes (SRBC) was dependent upon the concentration of antibody used to sensitize the SRBC. In a developmental study of rosette-forming lymphocytes (RFL), the bursa was the first site of appearance of large numbers of RFL. The percentage of RFL in the bursa reached a peak at 17 days of embryonic life, and declined to a low by hatching. The percentage of RFL in the spleen, however, began to increase at the time of hatching and by 6 weeks of age the spleen far surpassed the bursa in percentage RFL. At no age were significant numbers of RFL detected in the thymus.