Antigenic markers on rat lymphocytes. I. Characterization of A.R.T., an alloantigenic marker on rat thymus and thymus-derived cells.

Drugs with pharmacologic activities on cell membrane components were tested for their effects on responses of murine lymphocytes to mitogens. The effects of the drugs were found to be partly selective and related to the type and dose of the mitogen. Most striking were the effects of cytochalasin B, which inhibited the responses to low doses of concanavalin A or phytohemagglutinin, but potentiated the reactions to the high doses of the lectins. Chloroquine and chlorpromazine, on the other hand, were more inhibitory to cultures containing supraoptimal doses of the lectins. Colchicine inhibited the responses against lipopolysaccharide more than those against the two lectins. The inhibitory effects of colchicine were almost unchanged when the drug was added at intervals up to 24 hr after the onset of culture, whereas the effects of the other tested drugs diminished markedly when added to cultures 6 hr or more after the mitogens. The results are discussed in view of their relationship to the poorly understood mechanisms which regulate the lymphocyte responses in the presence of different doses of mitogens.     

云芝、灵芝和柱状田头菇胞外多糖对果蝇寿命的影响

研究了云芝、灵芝、柱状田头菇等3种食药用真菌胞外多糖及复合多糖对黑腹果蝇寿命的影响.分别将3种食药用真菌胞外多糖及复合多糖以1、5g/L的剂量加入果蝇培养基中,观察对黑腹果蝇寿命的影响.结果表明,3种食药用真菌的胞外多糖及复合多糖对果蝇寿命均有不同程度的延长,云芝5g/L、柱状田头菇5g/L、云芝2.5g/L＋柱状田头菇2.5g/L、灵芝2.5g/L＋柱状田头菇2.5g/L对果蝇平均寿命延长率分别达到了36.38%、46.60%、36.69%、47.08%.     

Alloantigen-induced T helper activity. I. Minimal genetic differences necessary to induce a positive allogeneic effect.

Addition of histoincompatible lymphocytes can influence the course of ongoing immune responses. Such allogeneic effects may either augment or diminish immune responses. We describe here the minimal genetic differences necessary to generate positive allogeneic effects (allohelp) in a humoral immune response. The antibody response to sheep erythrocytes of T cell-depleted mouse spleen cells was reconstituted by addition of syngeneic or allogeneic nylon wool column-passaged spleen T cells. T cells were pretreated with mitomycin C before culture to prevent development of allo-suppression and cytotoxic lymphocytes. Positive allogeneic effects were operationally defined as superior helper effects (to generate greater antibody forming cell responses) with T cells allogeneic rather than syngeneic to the responding B cells. Thus, addition of allogeneic T cells resulted in many more antibody forming cells than did equal numbers of syngeneic T cells, and fewer allogeneic than syngeneic T cells were necessary to generate comparable responses. With congenic, recombinant, and mutant mouse lines, genetic differences in the H-2 complex and those associated with Mls were each sufficient to provide positive allogeneic effects. With intra-H-2 recombinants, differences at either I or D were sufficient. A disparity at H-2K alone, as provided by the H-2 mutant B6.C-H-2ba against the parental line C57BL/6By, also induced helper effects. The significance of these results is discussed.     

The effect of thiols on immunologic release of slow reacting substance of anaphylaxis. I. Human lung.

Preincubation of human lung fragments with cysteine for 2.5 to 5.0 min resulted in dose-dependent, selective enhancement of the antigen-induced or anti-IgE-induced formation and release of slow reacting substance of anaphylaxis (SRS-A). Comparable effects were observed with sodium sulfide and thioglycolate but not with other more potent reducing agents or metabolites of cysteine. Sulfhydryl alkylated derivatives of cysteine were ineffective. The effects observed with the active thiols were easily reversed and could not be attributed to an action in the bioassay or on SRS-A itself. The physicochemical characteristics of the contractile activity were identical to those described for SRS-A.     

Geometry of the human erythrocyte. I. Effect of albumin on cell geometry.

The effects of albumin on the geometry of human erythrocytes have been studied. Individual red cells, hanging on edge from coverslips were photographed. Enlarged cell profiles were digitized using a Gradicon digitizer (Instronics Ltd., Stittsville, Ontario). Geometric parameters including diameter, area, volume, minimum cylindrical diameter, sphericity index, swelling index, maximum and minimum cell thickness, were calculated for each cell using a CDC 6400 computer. Maximum effect of human serum albumin was reached at about 1 g/liter. Studies of cell populations showed decreases in mean cell diameter of up to 6%, area 6%, and volume 15%, varying from sample to sample. The thickness of the rim was increased while that at the dimple was decreased. Studies of single cells showed that area and volume changes do not occur equally in all cells. Cells with lower sphericity indices showed larger effects. In the presence of albumin, up to 50% of the cells assumed cup-shapes (stomatocytes). These cells had smaller volumes but the same area as biconcave cells. Mechanical agitation could reversibly induce biconcave cells to assume cup shapes without area or volume changes. Experiments with de-fatted human albumins showed that the presence of bound fatty acids in varying concentrations does not alter the observed effects. Bovine serum albumin has similar effects on human erythrocytes as human serum albumin.     

Direct and indirect effects of hypoxia on benthos in Corpus Christi Bay, Texas, U.S.A.

Hypoxia (low oxygen conditions) has been found in the southeastern region of Corpus Christi Bay, Texas, U.S.A. every summer since 1988. The objectives of the current study were to determine direct and indirect effects of hypoxia on macrofauna. Direct physiological effects of hypoxia include reduction of benthic abundance, biomass, diversity, species richness and species evenness because of physiological intolerance. Indirect ecological effects of hypoxia include predation of emerging benthic fauna from the sediment. Macrofaunal community characteristics were compared vertically within sediments in caged and uncaged sediment samples in hypoxic and normoxic areas. Cage effects were determined with partial cages, which had reduced flow and no predator exclusion. Dissolved oxygen concentrations during the experiment was monitored in water column profiles and continuous measurement of bottom water in the hypoxic and normoxic areas. Hypoxia in Corpus Christi Bay in 1999 occurred as transient events, many of which were of short duration (less than 1 h) and moderate intensity (around 2 mg l^− 1). The macrobenthic community characteristics (i.e., abundance, biomass, species richness, diversity, and evenness) were directly affected by hypoxia as indicated by depressed levels and few deeper-dwelling organisms in the hypoxic area. Community structure was also different between the hypoxic and normoxic areas because of loss of species (presumably due to intolerance to low oxygen) in the hypoxic areas. Benthic invertebrates were found primarily in the surface in the hypoxic area, but there was no significant indication of indirect effects, i.e., increased predation pressure in the hypoxic area. The increased exposure to predation risk may be mitigated by predator avoidance of hypoxic areas. In conclusion, hypoxia in Corpus Christi Bay has negative direct effects on benthic organisms, but no indirect effects, such as increased predation pressure. The most significant finding is the interaction between hypoxia and vertical distributions of infauna, which drive hypoxia intolerant organisms to the surface and out of sediments.     

少花龙葵种子萌发特性及其果汁对小白菜种子萌发的影响

对少花龙葵的成熟果实采用3种采种方式,于室内测定水分、温度、光照条件对不同采种方式所得种子的发芽影响,并就少花龙葵的果汁对小白菜种子萌发的影响进行分析.结果表明:(1)少花龙葵种子于25℃恒温下浸种8 h后吸水达到饱和,其适宜发芽温度为20℃～25℃,萌发受黑暗抑制;(2)3种采种方式中以捣烂果实后种子不从果实取出并不清洗而直接晾干的采留种方式最佳;(3)少花龙葵果汁原液和其5～10倍稀释液抑制广东小白菜种子发芽,20～50倍稀释液则促进其萌发,表明少花龙葵果汁具有化感效应.     

Modifications of drug metabolism by disulfiram and diethyldithiocarbamate. II. D-Glucuronic acid pathway.

Hepatic enzymes connected with the formation and metabolism of free D-glucuronic acid were affected in rats after treatment with disulfiram or diethyldithiocarbamate (300 mg/kg, intragastrically, per day, 4 X). The activities of UDPglucose dehydrogenase, UDPglucuronic acid pyrophosphatase, UDPglucuronosyltransferase and L-gulonate dehydrogenase were enhanced, while those of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, beta-glucuronidase and D-glucuronolactone dehydrogenase were inhibited. These changes were more pronounced with disulfiram than diethyldithiocarbamate. Treatment with phenobarbital (80 mg/kg, i.p., per day, 4 X) enhanced UDP glucuronosyl-transferase, but brought about different effects on the other enzymes. Concurrent administration of phenobarbital with disulfiram or diethyldithiocarbamate led to potentiation or antagonism of the primary effects of each compound when given alone. The results suggest that activation of the D-glucuronic acid pathway may proceed in various ways, and that it is not necessarily followed by a simultaneous induction of the microsomal mixed-function oxygenase activity.     

Interactions of voltage-sensing dyes with membranes. III. Electrical properties induced by merocyanine 540

The effects of merocyanine 540 on the electrical properties of lipid bilayer membranes have been investigated. The alterations this dye was found to produce in the intrinsic conductances of these membranes were minimal, but it profoundly altered the conductances produced by extrinsic permeant species. These alterations were much larger for neutral membranes than for negatively charged ones. The dye increased the conductances mediated by positively charged permeant species and decreased those by negatively charged permeant species, suggesting that it produces a negative electrostatic potential on the membrane; it also altered the kinetics and the voltage dependencies of permeation by these charge carriers. The magnitudes of dye-mediated conductance changes were much larger for positively charged permeants than for negatively charged ones; also, changes in ionic strength altered these dye effects in opposite directions from those predicted by the Stern equation, and the dependence of the conductance alteration on dye concentration was steeper than that predicted by this equation. Finally, only very small changes in liposome zeta potentials were induced by the dye. Calculations show that a large fraction of these effects can be accounted for by the dipole potential produced by merocyanine at the membrane surface, but that additional effects of the dye must be postulated as well.     

Fitness Effects of Ems-Induced Mutations on the X Chromosome of DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER. I. Viability Effects and Heterozygous Fitness Effects

Drosophila melanogaster X chromosomes were mutagenized by feeding males sucrose solutions containing ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS); the concentrations of EMS in the food were 2.5 mM, 5.0 mM, and 10.0 mM. Chromosomes were exposed to the mutagen up to three times by treating males in succeeding generations. After treatment, the effective exposures were 2.5, 5.0, 7.5, 10.0, 15.0, and 30.0 mM EMS. X chromosomes treated in this manner were tested for effects on fitness in both hemizygous and heterozygous conditions, and for effects on viability in hemizygous and homozygous conditions. In addition, untreated X chromosomes were available for study. The viability and heterozygous fitness effects are presented in this paper, and the hemizygous fitness effects are discussed in the accompanying one (MITCHELL and SIMMONS 1977). Hemizygous and homozygous viability effects were measured by segregation tests in vial cultures. For hemizygous males, viability was reduced 0.5 percent per mM EMS treatment; for homozygous females, it was reduced 0.7% per mM treatment. The decline in viability appeared to be a linear function of EMS dose. The viabilities of males and females were strongly correlated. Heterozygous fitness effects were measured by monitoring changes in the frequencies of treated and untreated X chromosomes in discrete generation populations which, through the use of an X-Y translocation, maintained them only in heterozygous condition. Flies that were heterozygous for a treated chromosome were found to be 0.4% less fit per mM EMS than flies heterozygous for an untreated one.     

Invertebrate responses to the management of genetically modified herbicide-tolerant and conventional spring crops. I. Soil-surface-active invertebrates

The effects of herbicide management of genetically modified herbicide-tolerant (GMHT) beet, maize and spring oilseed rape on the abundance and diversity of soil-surface-active invertebrates were assessed. Most effects did not differ between years, environmental zones or initial seedbanks or between sugar and fodder beet. This suggests that the results may be treated as generally applicable to agricultural situations throughout the UK for these crops. The direction of the effects was evenly balanced between increases and decreases in counts in the GMHT compared with the conventional treatment. Most effects involving a greater capture in the GMHT treatments occurred in maize, whereas most effects involving a smaller capture were in beet and spring oilseed rape. Differences between GMHT and conventional crop herbicide management had a significant effect on the capture of most surface-active invertebrate species and higher taxa tested in at least one crop, and these differences reflected the phenology and ecology of the invertebrates. Counts of carabids that feed on weed seeds were smaller in GMHT beet and spring oilseed rape but larger in GMHT maize. In contrast, collembolan detritivore counts were significantly larger under GMHT crop management.     

Neural network optimization for E. coli promoter prediction.

Methods for optimizing the prediction of Escherichia coli RNA polymerase promoter sequences by neural networks are presented. A neural network was trained on a set of 80 known promoter sequences combined with different numbers of random sequences. The conserved -10 region and -35 region of the promoter sequences and a combination of these regions were used in three independent training sets. The prediction accuracy of the resulting weight matrix was tested against a separate set of 30 known promoter sequences and 1500 random sequences. The effects of the network's topology, the extent of training, the number of random sequences in the training set and the effects of different data representations were examined and optimized. Accuracies of 100% on the promoter test set and 98.4% on the random test set were achieved with the optimal parameters.     

Immunopotentiating effects of amphotericin B. I. Enhanced contact sensitivity in mice.

Contact sensitivity responses to dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB) or oxazolone were enhanced by amphotericin B (AmB) administration. This adjuvant effect of AmB was documented in mice by ear thickness measurements, ear histology, and the 5-iodo-2'-deoxyuridine-125I ear assay. The optimum immunopotentiating effect of AmB required its simultaneous administration at the time of skin sensitization. AmB-induced adjuvant effects were also observed in adoptive transfer experiments in which syngeneic recipients of lymph node cells from animals sensitized with DNFB plus AmB gave stronger contact sensitivity responses than recipients of cells from mice sensitized with DNFB alone. AmB also interfered with tolerance induction by i.v. dinitrobenzene sulfonic acid, suggesting that its adjuvant effects involve inhibition of suppressor cells or their precursors.     

Phenotypic plasticity for life-history traits in Drosophila melanogaster. III. Effect of the environment on genetic parameters.

We estimated genetic and environmental variance components for developmental time and dry weight at eclosion in Drosophila melanogaster raised in ten different environments (all combinations of 22, 25 and 28 degrees C and 0.5, 1 and 4% yeast concentration, and 0.25% yeast at 25 degrees C). We used six homozygous lines derived from a natural population for complete diallel crosses in each environment. Additive genetic variances were consistently low for both traits (h2 around 10%). The additive genetic variance of developmental time was larger at lower yeast concentrations, but the heritability did not increase because other components were also larger. The additive genetic effects of the six parental lines changed ranks across environments, suggesting a mechanism for the maintenance of genetic variation in heterogenous environments. The variance due to non-directional dominance was small in most environments. However, there was directional dominance in the form of inbreeding depression for both traits. It was pronounced at high yeast levels and temperatures but disappeared when yeast or temperature were decreased. This meant that the heterozygous flies were more sensitive to environmental differences than homozygous flies. Because dominance effects are not heritable, this suggests that the evolution of plasticity can be constrained when dominance effects are important as a mechanism for plasticity.     

Affinity chromatography of trypsin and related enzymes. V. Basic studies of quantitative affinity chromatography.

A detailed study of the quantitative affinity chromatography of trypsin [EC 3.4.21.4] is reported here. Frontal chromatography using an enzyme solution of very low concentration on an affinity adsorbent gave the dissociation constant of the enzyme-immobilized ligand complex (Kd). Kd values determined under various conditions enabled us to discuss in detail the interaction of trypsin and affinity adsorbents (mainly Gly-Gly-Arg Sepharose). The pH dependence of Kd was consistent with that of the interaction of trypsin and product-type compounds. The effects of changes in temperature, ionic strength, dielectric constant, etc., were also studied. The Ki values of soluble competitive inhibitors can be determined by analysis of their effects on the elution volume of the enzyme. The values obtained were in good agreement with those obtained by kinetic analysis. The present method proved to be useful as a general procedure to investigate the interaction of a protein and a specific ligand.     

Frontal electromyographic feedback. Stress attenuation and generalization.

This study evaluated the effects of one session of frontal electromyographic (EMG) feedback on (1) frontal EMG, (2) frontal EMG response to stress, (3) cardiovascular variables, and (4) cardiovascular responses to stress. Eighteen male and female undergraduate volunteers received either frontal EMG feedback or a relaxation instructions control procedure and were then exposed to a fear stimulus (visualization of a feared situation) and a post-stress adaptation period while several cardiovascular measures were monitored. In comparison to the control group, frontal EMG feedback significantly reduced resting levels of frontal EMG and frontal EMG response to stress but had no significant effect on cardiovascular measures. The results of this study suggest that one session of frontal EMG feedback may attenuate response to stress but, within the paradigm utilized, may be confined to the specific muscle groups monitored. Additional areas of needed research were noted including individual differences in generalization, the effects of EMG feedback from multiple sites sequentially and concomitantly, and the generalized effects from symptom-specific sites.     

Control of cell division in the cornea of rats. III. Mitogenic effect of isoproterenol and theophylline.

The effects of isoproterenol, theophylline and the combination of the two drugs were studied on the circadian mitotic rhythm in rat corneal epithelium. The drugs induced profound alterations in the normal circadian mitotic pattern. The alterations included an initial suppression of cell division, followed by two distinct rises above control; the first immediately following suppression, the second 12-16 hr following drug administration. The second peak of cell division occurred at the circadian trough in controls. The simultaneous administration of isoproterenol and theophylline greatly magnified the effects seen with either drug alone.     

Hepatoprotective and free radical scavenging effects of Nelumbo nucifera.

Ethanol extracts from Nelumbo nucifera (ENN) seeds were studied for possible antioxidative and hepatoprotective effects. Antioxidative effects were measured spectrophotometrically by reduction of 2,2'-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals. Hepatoprotective effects were tested using carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) and aflatoxin B1 (AFB1)-induced hepatocyte toxicity models. ENN showed potent free radical scavenging effects with a median inhibition concentration of 6.49 microg/ml. Treatment of hepatocytes with ENN inhibited both the production of serum enzymes and cytotoxicity by CCl4. The genotoxic and cytotoxic effects of AFB1 were also inhibited by ENN in dose-dependent manners. These hepatoprotective effects of ENN against CCl4 and AFB1 might result from its potent antioxidative properties.     

Analgesic effects of branding in treatment of headaches.

The effect of branding--that is, the labelling and marketing--of a well-known proprietary analgesic used to treat headaches was studied in a sample of women given a branded or unbranded form with either an inert or an active formulation. The sample was also divided according to whether the subjects were regular users of the brand or users of other brands. The findings showed that branded tablets were overall significantly more effective than unbranded tablets in relieving headaches. Differential effects were observed: the effects of branding were more noticeable one hour after the tablets were taken compared with 30 minutes; in the women given the placebo; and in the users of the brand compared with the users of other brands. It is hypothesised that these effects are due to increased confidence in obtaining relief with a well-known brand, and that branding has an analgesic effect that interacts with the analgesic effects of placebos and active ingredients.     

Pharmacological studies on the pulmonary vein of the horse. I. Effects of selected spasmogens.

Horses suffer from a respiratory condition, similar to human allergic asthma, that is characterized by severe dyspnea, wheezing, coughing, and mucus production. Mediator substances released during the allergic reaction may contract airways and pulmonary vasculature. Nothing is known of the effects of autacoids and other vasoactive substances on equine pulmonary vessels. Therefore, spiral strips of equine pulmonary vein were prepared in vitro and the effects of histamine (H), 5-hydroxytryptamine (5HT), bradykinin (BK), carbachol (Carb), and phenylephrine (phen) were studied. The order of contractile effectiveness for the agonists on the vein was found to be 5HT greater than H greater than Bk greater than Phen greater than Carb, although H consistently produced the greatest maximal effects. H1-receptors appeared to mediate H contractions while H2-receptors had no measurable effect. 5HT responses were mediated directly by 'D-type' smooth muscle receptors. Bk produced contractions but of a lesser magnitude than either H or 5HT. Varying degrees of tachyphylaxis were observed for each agent. alpha-Adrenergic receptor stimulation by Phen initiated low-magnitude contractions whereas Carb exhibited virtually no activity on the pulmonary vein. Contractile responses of pulmonary veins to various spasmogens may contribute to the equine asthmatic response by raising vascular hydrostatic pressure, thereby enhancing edema formation.