Adrenergic innervation of the oesophagus in the cat (Fellis domestica) and rhesus monkey (Macacus rhesus)

Summary The distribution of monoamines in the pharynx and oesophagus of the rhesus monkey (Macacus rhesus) and the cat (Felis domestica) was investigated by means of fluorescence microscopical and chemical methods. Fluorimetric determinations reveal the presence of varying amounts of noradrenaline in the pharynx and oesophagus of the rhesus monkey. The lowest amount (0.05 (g/g) was found in the lower part of the oesophagus, the so-called sphincter-segment. The middle and upper part of the oesophagus contain medium amounts of noradrenaline (0.06–0.09 g) whereas the highest concentration was detected in the pharynx (0.14 (g/g). Neither dopamine nor adrenaline occurred in the tissue pieces analyzed. Fluorescence microscopically noradrenaline was found to be located in varicose intramural nerve fibre plexus which innervate mucous glands and blood vessels in the pharynx of both species. In the rhesus monkey, the lamina muscularis mucosae of all parts of the oesophagus is supplied by a well developed noradrenergic ground-plexus. Preterminal and terminal varicose nerve fibres are distributed in myenteric and submucous ganglia of the oesophagus; the number of such ganglia decreases towards the lower segment. The density of the adrenergic innervation is higher in myenteric when compared to submucous ganglia. The arrangement of the intraganglionic terminals suggests that both axosomatic and axodendritic contacts occur in Auerbach's ganglia whereas axodendritic contacts seem to predominate in Meissner's ganglia. Myenteric ganglia situated close to the submucosa as well as true submucous ganglia may be occasionally seen to be traversed by faintly fluorescent non-varicosed fibres which do not establish any synaptic contacts. The fluorescence intensity of intraganglionic varicosities varies considerably; accordingly the transmitter content of individual varicosities seems to be very variable. The adrenergic innervation of the lamina muscularis is restricted to single contorted fibres being sparsely distributed throughout the longitudinal smooth muscle layer. The circularly arranged smooth musculature of the sphincter-segment lacks an adrenergic nerve supply. The vagus nerve carries sympathetic adrenergic fibres to the lower oesophagus and the cardia. Species differences between the innervation pattern in rhesus monkeys and cats are outlined: No adrenergically innervated ganglia occur in the submucosa of the cat. However, part of the myenteric ganglia in cats exhibit an adrenergic innervation pattern similar to that seen in submucous ganglia of the rhesus monkey. They might therefore be regarded as morphologically equivalent to the plexus submucosus which is, however, present in the whole gut. The density of the noradrenergic ground-plexus in the muscularis mucosae of the cat's oesophagus is less than that of the corresponding plexus in rhesus monkeys.The influence of noradrenaline upon the smooth musculature and the neurons from myenteric as well as submucous ganglia is discussed. From the point of view of the adrenergic innervation there is no structure corresponding to the sphincterlike lower oesophageal segment.Supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft and the Joachim-Jungius-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Wissenschaften, Hamburg.     

Ceratomyxa seriolae n. sp. and C. buri n. sp. (Myxozoa: Myxosporea) from the gall-bladder of cultured yellowtail Seriola quinqueradiata

Ceratomyxa seriolae n. sp. and C. buri n. sp. (Myxozoa: Myxosporea) were found in the gall-bladder of cultured yellowtail Seriola quinqueradiata Temminck & Schlegel (Carangidae) in Japan. Mature spores of C. seriolae n. sp. were elongate and 6.5 (6.0-7.5) m long and 33.7 (28.0-41.5) m thick. Disporous plasmodia of C. seriolae n. sp., 40-100 m in size, were amoeboid to spherical. C. buri n. sp. were elliptical with a flattened posterior end, 6.5 (5.5-7.5) m long and 14.3 (11.0-16.5) m thick. Spherical plasmodia of C. buri n. sp., 15-20 m in diameter, were disporous. In periodical sampling of yellowtail bile from August, 1999 to February, 2000, the two new species of Ceratomyxa, as well as Myxobolus spirosulcatus Maeno, Sorimachi, Ogawa & Kearn 1995, first appeared in October, and the prevalences were very variable (20-100%) during the study period.     

Oocysts of Isospora ernsti n. sp. and Isospora blagburni n. sp. (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) from the black-capped bulbul,Pycnonotus xanthopygos

Oocysts of Isospora ernsti n. sp. and Isospora blagburni n. sp. are described from the black-capped bulbul Pycnonotus xanthopygos from Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, Illinois. The bird came from southwestern Africa seven years earlier. I. ernsti oocysts are ellipsoidal to bluntly ovoid, 28–38 × 23–31m (mean 34 × 28 m) and have a single-layered oocyst wall. Micropyle, oocyst residuum and polar granules are absent. Sporocysts are elongate ovoid, 24–30 × 11–16 m (mean 27×13 m). Stieda and substiedal bodies and sporocyst residuum are present. I. blagburni oocysts are spherical to subspherical. 21–28 × 19–26 m (mean 25 × 23 m) and have a single oocyst wall. Sporocysts are ovoid and 17–23 × 10–13 m (mean 20 × 12 m). Stieda and substiedal bodies and sporocyst residuum are present.     

Feeding in the rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus

Summary The laboratory feeding behavior of Brachionus calyciflorus varies depending upon the type of food cell available in suspension. When feeding on the yeast Rhodotorula glutinis, rotifers show a continuous increase in ingestion with increased cell density between 0.01 and 1000 g dry weight ml^-1. Effective clearance rates drop from ca. 50 l animal^-1 h^-1 to less than 0.5 l animal^-1 h^-1 over this food density range. When feeding on Englena gracilis, B. calyciflorus ingestion rates are constant between 1.0 and 100 g ml^-1 of available food, averaging close to 25 ng animal^-1 h^-1. The decrease in clearance rate is more striking than with R. glutinis, dropping from 45 l animal^-1 h^-1 at 0.1 g ml^-1 to 0.13 l animal^-1 h^-1 at 100 g ml^-1. Differences between the patterns obtained with the two food types indicate fundamental dissimilarities in the feeding behavior of this rotifer species when presented with these different foods.     

Trois nouveaux Nadejdolepis Spasskii & Sasskaya, 1954 (Cestoda: Hymenolepididae) parasites de Charadrii (Aves) de Tasmanie

Three species of Nadejdolepis from Tasmania, Australia, are described and illustrated. N. burgessi n. sp., a parasite of Charadrius ruficapillus, is 4-6 mm long, with rostellar nitiduloid hooks 63-66 m long, a short evaginated cirrus 13-16 m long with a short collar of thin spines 1 m long, a narrow and tubular sclerotinoid vagina 40-50 long and 3-4 m in diameter with a little ampulla 3-5 m in diameter at the proximal end, and a membranous atrial segment with smooth, short (1 m) and compact spines which are sometimes difficult to observe. N. smithi n. sp., a parasite of 40-50 long and 3-4 m in diameter with a little ampulla 3-5 m in diameter at the proximal end, and a membranous atrial segment with smooth, short (1 m) and compact spines which are     

The endogenous development of four new species of Isospora Schneider, 1881 (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) from Australian geckos

Four new species of Isospora are described from Australian geckoes. Isospora gehyrae n. sp. from Gehyra cf. variegata in South Australia have 18.5-22.5×17.5–20.0 m oöcysts with 10.0-12.5×7.5-9.0 m sporocysts; endogenous stages develop in the host cell cytoplasm. Of the two species found in Heteronotia binoei from northern Queensland, Isospora cytoheteronotis n. sp., with oöcysts of 20.0-26.0×17.5-25.0 m and sporocysts of 10.0-13.5×7.5-11.5 m, undergoes endogenous development in its host cell cytoplasm, whereas I. nucleoheteronotis n. sp., with oöcysts of 17.5-22.5×17.5-21.5 m and sporocysts of 9.0-12.5×6.5-10.0 m, develops in the host cell nucleus. I. oedurae n. sp. from Oedura rhombifer in northern Queensland has oöcysts of 22.5-25.0×22.5-24.0 m and sporocysts of 12.5-14.0×7.5-11.5 m, and undergoes endogenous development in its host cell nuclei.     

Sulfur amino acid metabolism in the developing rhesus monkey brain: Interrelationship of taurine and glutamate

The relationship of taurine to glutamate, and to other amino acids, has been examined in the occipital lobe of the developing rhesus monkey. During development taurine decreases in concentration (4.96 mol/g in fetus to 1.52 mol/g in adult) while glutamate increases (7.92 mol/g in fetus to 11.26 mol/g in adult). When the concentration of taurine is plotted against that of glutamate in fetal, neonatal and adult animals there is a significant correlation in the fetal (p<0.01) and adult (p<0.01) but not in the neonatal occipital lobe samples. This correlation in both fetal and adult brain is specific for these two amino acids. Subcellular fractionation studies further indicate that this relationship may be of special importance in nerve endings.This paper is dedicated to Dr. Derek Richter on his seventy-fifth birthday.     

Innervation of the large arteries and heart of the toad (Bufo marinus) by adrenergic and peptide-containing neurons

Summary The innervation of the major arteries and heart of the toad (Bufo marinus) was examined by use of glyoxylic acid-induced catecholamine fluorescence and peptide immunohistochemistry. All arteries possessed a moderate to dense plexus of adrenergic axons, which also showed neuropeptide Y-like immunoreactivity (NPY-LI). Some adrenergic axons in the intracardiac vagal trunks showed NPY-LI, but the varicose adrenergic axons innervating the cardiac muscle of the atria and ventricle, and the coronary blood vessels did not display NPY-LI. About half of the nerve cell bodies in the anterior sympathetic chain ganglia with dopamine--hydroxylase-LI (DBH-LI) also contained NPY-LI. The nerve cell bodies with DBH-LI alone were generally larger (median diameter 30 m) than those with both DBH-LI and NPY-LI (median diameter 20 m). Some cell bodies showing DBH-LI alone were surrounded by boutons with NPY-LI but not DBH-LI. Axons that displayed simultaneously both substance P-LI (SP-LI) and calcitonin gene-related peptide-LI (CGRP-LI) also formed a plexus around all arteries studied, being particularly dense around the mesenteric and pulmonary arteries. These axons are most likely sensory since SP-LI was reduced by capsaicin treatment, and nerve cell bodies with both SP-LI and CGRP-LI were found in dorsal root ganglia and the vagal ganglion. A dense plexus of axons showing somatostatin-LI was located around the pulmonary artery and its main intrapulmonary branches. A few nerves with vasoactive intestinal polypeptide-LI were found around the dorsal aorta and pulmonary artery. No perivascular nerves with enkephalin-LI were observed. Reversed-phase, high-pressure liquid chromatography of acid extracts of the large arteries showed that the major peaks of NPY-LI and SP-LI coeluted with porcine NPY (1–36) and synthetic SP (1–11), respectively. Thus, the location and structure of these peptides in perivascular nerves has been highly conserved during vertebrate evolution.     

Five new species of coccidia (Apicomplexa: Eimeriidae) from Madagascan chameleons (Sauria: Chamaeleonidae)

Coprological examination of 19 Madagascan chameleons of the genera Furcifer and Brookesia revealed the presence of five new coccidian species. Isospora brygooi n. sp. from Furcifer pardalis has spherical to subspherical oöcysts with a slightly pitted wall, 20.7 (17–24.5) × 19.3 (16–23) m and broadly ellipsoidal sporocysts, 12.2 (11.5–13) × 8.1 (8–8.5) m, with Stieda and substieda bodies. Oöcysts of Eimeria glawi n. sp. from Furcifer pardalis are cylindrical to ellipsoidal, 27.7 (26–29.5) × 18.4 (17–19) m, with ellipsoidal sporocysts, 7.3 (6.5–8) × 5.2 (5–5.5) m. E. vencesi n. sp. described from F. pardalis has spherical to subspherical oöcysts, 14.3 (13–15.5) × 13.0 (12–13) m, with small granules, one to three globular polar granules and ellipsoidal sporocysts, 7.3 (6.5–8) × 5.2 (5–5.5) m. E. worthi n. sp., described from Furcifer oustaleti has spherical oöcysts, 17.9 (17.5–19.0) × 15.0 (14.5–16.0) m without a polar granule and ellipsoidal to cylindroidal sporocysts, 8.2 (7.0–9.5) × 5.8 (5.0–6.5) m. Oöcysts of E. brookesiae n. sp. from Brookesia decaryi are cylindrical, 25.6 (23–27) × 15.0 (13–16) m with ellipsoidal sporocysts, 10.1 (9–11) × 6.9 (6–7) m. Endogenous development of E. vencesi is confined to the intestine, while that of E. glawi occurs in the gall-bladder.     

Toxicity and moniliformin production by four recently described species of Fusarium and two uncertain taxa

Four recently described species, Fusarium nygamai, F. dlamini, F. beomiforme and F. napiforme and two uncertain taxa, F. nygamai from millet in Africa and Fusarium species from rice with Bakanae disease, were tested for toxicity and moniliformin production. Cultures grown on autoclaved corn were fed to groups of four one-day-old ducklings for 14 days. Isolates that caused the death of 3 or 4 out of 4 ducklings were considered to be toxic and analyzed for moniliformin. All 15 isolates of F. dlamini tested were nontoxic. The other taxa contained some isolates that were toxic to ducklings and produced moniliformin in corn cultures. This is the first report of moniliformin production by F. beomiforme (200–890 g/g), and F. napiforme (16–388 g/g), and by F. nygamai not obtained from millet in Africa (15–874 g/g). The highest production of moniliformin was obtained from the 19 isolates of F. nygamai from millet in Africa (4300–18200g/g) and the 15 isolates from rice with Bakanae disease (2300–19300 g/g). The taxonomic position of these two uncertain taxa should be re-evaluated.     

Developmental aspects of long-term callus culture ofVicia faba L.

Summary Vicia faba callus line (VFS 1), isolated from expiants of immature embryo, grew satisfactorily onMurashige andSkoog complete medium with 1.38 M 2,4-D, or with 0.92 M 2,4-D to which 1.0 M kinetin was added. It also grew well on the B 5 modified medium containing 2.3 M 2,4-D and 25.0 M kinetin. On the last of these media the cultures grew more uniformly and without necrosis. They also showed diminishing variation in polyploidy in favour of diploids and corresponding aneuploids (hypodiploids).After being cultured for nearly three years on MS containing 1.38 M 2,4-D, 8–33% of cultures of VFS 1 were able to regenerate roots when transferred to either MS half strength with 5.37 M NAA, or to a medium without 2,4-D, or else to media with the addition of kinetin only (in various concentrations).     

Optimization of in vivo tumor targeting in SCID mice with divalent forms of 741F8 anti-c-erbB-2 single-chain Fv: effects of dose escalation and repeated i.v. administration

Single-chain Fv molecules in monovalent (sFv) and divalent [(sFv')₂] forms exhibit highly specific tumor targeting in mice as a result of their small size and rapid systemic clearance. As a consequence, there is a rapid reversal of the sFv blood/tumor gradient, resulting in diminished retention of sFv species in tumors. In this report we investigate two distinct strategies, dose escalation and repetitive intravenous (i.v.) dosing, aiming to increase the absolute selective retention of radiolabeled anti-c-erbB-2¹²⁵I-741F8 (sFv')₂ in c-erbB-2-overexpressing SK-OV-3 tumors in mice with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID). A doseescalation strategy was applied to single i.v. injections of¹²⁵I-741F8 (sFv')₂. Doses from 50 g to 1000 g were administered without a significant decrease in tumor targeting or specificity. High doses resulted in large increases in the absolute retention of¹²⁵I-741F8 (sFv')₂. For example, raising the administered dose from 50 g to 1000 g increased the tumor retention 24 h after injection from 0.46 g/g to 9.5 g/g, and resulted in a net increase of greater than 9 /g. Over the same dose range, the liver retention rose from 0.06 g/g to 1 g/g, and resulted in a net increase of less than 1 g/g. The retention of 9.5 g/g in tumor 24 h fllowing the 1000-g dose of (sFv')₂ was comparable to that seen 24 h after a 50-g dose of¹²⁵I-741F8 IgG, indicating that the use of large doses of (sFv')₂ may partially offset their rapid clearance. When two doses were administered by i.v. injection 24 h apart, the specificity of delivery to tumor observed after the first dose was maintained following the second injection. Tumor retention of¹²⁵I-741F8 (sFv')₂ was 0.32 g/g at 24 h and 0.22 g/g at 48 h following a single injection of 20 g/g, while 0.04 g/ml and 0.03 g/ml were retained in blood at the same assay times. After a second 20-g injection at the 24-h assay time, tumor retention increased to 0.49 g/g, and blood retention was 0.06 g/ml, at the 48-h point. These results suggest that multiple high-dose administrations of radiolabeled 741F8 (sFv')₂ may lead to the selective tumor localization of therapeutic radiation doses.Supported by National Cancer Institute (NCI) National Cooperative Drug Discovery Group grant U01 CA51880, CA06927, an appropriation from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the Bernard A. and Rebecca S. Bernard Foundation     

Effects of biogenic amines and adrenergic drugs on oviposition in the cattle tickBoophilus: Evidence for octopaminergic innervation of the oviduct

Oviposition in the cattle tickBoophilus microplus was arrested by octopamine and the -adrenergic agonists clonidine, tolazoline, and naphazoline, at doses of 25g per tick. The same effect was obtained with a sublethal dose of Amitraz of 10 g per tick. In contrast, the -adrenergic agonists apomorphine, synephrine, phetolamine, metaclopromide and chlorpromazine were ineffective. No mortality was observed at any of the doses tested. Reserpine, which depletes endogenous adrenergic terminals, mimicked the effects of octopamine in blocking oviposition. Acetylcholine agonists also blocked oviposition but dopaminergic agonists did not. Evidence is presented suggesting that control of the oviduct is mediated by octopaminergic receptors.     

Diurnal changes in proline content of desert plants

Summary The diurnal changes in proline and water contents of Zygophyllum quatarense and Francoeuria crispa were investigated under desert conditions. In both plants, the proline content was low before sunrise amounting to 10.42 moles/g fresh weight in Zygophyllum and 6.3 moles/g fresh weight in Francoeuria. By the progress of the day and the intensification of the evaporative power of the atmosphere, the proline content increased considerably in the two plants. The proline content reached maximal values at 5 p.m., reaching 23.36 moles/g in Zygophyllum and 11.16 moles/g in Francoeuria. The proline content of the artificially watered plants was kept at a low level throughout the day. The conditions and role of proline accumulation were discussed.     

Direct somatic embryogenesis through thin cell layer culture in Panax ginseng

Direct somatic embryos were differentiated on cotyledon transverse Thin Cell Layers (tTCLs) of Panax ginseng after 9 weeks in the Murashige and Skoog basal (MS) medium containing 2,4-d (5M). When MS medium containing 2,4-d (5M) was used for seedling pretreatment and for tTCLs culture, somatic embryos were observed 2 weeks earlier, i.e. after 7 weeks of culture. On the tTCLs from seedlings pretreated with 2,4-d (5M) combined with benzyladenine and zeatin at 0.1 M (BZ), somatic embryos were observed after 6 weeks of culture and the percentage of embryogenesis was higher (62%) than when 2,4-d was used alone for pretreatment (40%). Similar results were also obtained from pretreatment with combinations of 2,4-d (5M) and thidiazuron (TDZ) (0.01, 0.1M). When a combination of 2,4-d (5M) and BZ (0.1M) was used both for seedling pretreatment and for tTCLs culture, both somatic embryos and shoots were observed after only 3 weeks. As the concentration of BZ increased, the percentage of somatic embryogenesis decreased but the percentage of organogenesis increased. Similar responses were obtained with a combination of 2,4-d (5M) and TDZ (0.01M). On the medium containing both NAA (0.3M) and BZ (1M), globular- and heart- stage embryos developed after 4 weeks of culture into cotyledonary-staged embryos which remained dormant after a short elongation of the embryo axis. The importance of seedling pretreatment by growth substances in enhancing somatic embryogenesis is reported.Abbreviations BA 6-benzyladenine - BZ combination of BA and zeatin - 2,4-d 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid - MS medium Murashige and Skoog basal medium - NAA a-naphthaleneacetic acid - TDZ thidiazuron - tTCLs transverse thin cell layers - TCL longitudinal thin cell layer     

Evaluation of malondialdehyde as an index of lead damage in rat brain homogenates

Lipid peroxidation in vitro homogenates of brain was examined as sequela of lead toxicity. The levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) in homogenates of rat brain (1 ml, 5% w/v) treated with lead (50 g) alone or in combination with ascorbic acid (100 g), alphatocopherol (100 g) or hydroquinone (100 g) were evaluated. The levels of MDA were consistently evoked by lead in a dose-related manner. The toxicity of lead was further advanced by the action of the pro-oxidant drug ascorbic acid on the brain. However, the anti-oxidant drugs alphatocopherol and hydroquinone decreased the toxic effect of lead on the brain. These results clearly show that the enhanced lipid peroxidation may provide a basis of lead-induced neurotoxicity.     

Wardium canarisi n. sp. (Cestoda: Hymenolepididae) parasite de Arenaria melanocephala (Aves: Charadrii) d'Alaska

The authors describe and illustrate Wardium canarisi n. sp. (Cestoda: Hymenolepididae), an intestinal parasite of Arenaria melanocephala (Aves: Charadrii) from Alaska, characterised by a strobila 20–40 mm long, 10 aploparaksoid hooks 19–21 m long, a short cylindrical cirrus (40 m) covered with very minute spines (0.2 m), and a short (8–18 m) and extremely narrow (1 m) copulatory vagina. These characters have no equivalent, even approximate, among the 27 species of Wardium parasitic in the Charadrii which are reviewed. The genus Debrosia Spassky, 1987 appears to be justified.     

In vitro somatic embryogenesis and plant regeneration in Acacia arabica

In vitro somatic embryogenesis and subsequent plant regeneration was achieved in callus cultures derived from immature zygotic embryos of Acacia arabica on semi-solid Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal salts and vitamins supplemented with 8.88 MBA, 6.78 M2,4-D and 30 g l^–1 (w/v) sucrose. Somatic embryos proliferated rapidly by secondary somatic embryogenesis after transfer to MS medium supplemented with 6.66 M BA, 6.78 M 2,4-D. The maximum number of somatic embryos per callus was 72.6 after 8 weeks of culture on medium containing 6.66 M BA and 6.78 M 2,4-D. The isolated somatic embryos germinated on half-strength basal MS salts and vitamins supplemented with 0.04 M BA, 0.94 M ABA and 2% (w/v) sucrose. The embryo-derived plantlets were acclimatized in the greenhouse and subsequently showed normal growth.     

Effect of minerals on the production of the delta endotoxin byBacillus thuringiensis subsp.israelensis

Summary A study has been made of the mineral requirements ofBacillus thuringiensis subsp.israelensis for production of the mosquitocide delta endotoxin. The optimum concentrations of K₂HOP₄, MgSO₄.7H₂O and CaCO₃ for toxin production are 1g/l, 0.3g/l and 1g/l respectively while the elements Fe, Mn, Cu are required at levels of 2 g/ml, 5 g/ml and 0.25 g/ml respectively.