Plasma concentrations of temazepam,a 3-hydroxy benzodiazepine,determined by electron-capture gas—liquid chromatography

A simple and sensitive high-performance liquid chromatographic assay of methotrexate (MTX) and its two active metabolites, 7-hydroxymethotrexate (7-OH-MTX) and 2,4-di-amino-N¹⁰-methylpteroic acid (APA) in plasma, saliva and urine was developed. The method involved deproteinization with acetonitrile followed by addition of isoamyl alcohol and ethyl acetate. After extraction the sample was chromatographed on a cation-exchange column and monitored at 313 nm. The retention times were 5, 7 and 9 min and detection limits 20, 10 and 5 ng/ml for 7-OH-MTX, MTX and APA, respectively. For concentrations greater than 100 ng/ml one-step deproteinization of 0.1 ml sample with 0.25 ml acetonitrile was satisfactory for sample preparation. The method has been evaluated in samples from patients and rabbits receiving MTX.     

Nanoplanktonic coccolithophorids (Prymnesiophyceae, Haptophyceae) from the Weddell Sea, Antarctica

The examination of whole mounts prepared for transmission electron microscopy has resulted in the finding of thirteen taxa of nanoplanktonic coccolithophorids from the Weddell Sea, Antarctica. The material was collected as part of the AMERIEZ programme, March 1986. Cold-water adapted nanoplanktonic coccolithophorids have previously been shown to constitute a recurrent plankton element at subarctic and arctic localities. Three of the Weddell Sea species, Wigwamma annulifera, W. arctica , and Papposphaera sagittifera , are conspecific with northern hemisphere material, while two species, Calciarcus alaskensis and Turrisphaera arctica , are possibly identical with previously described arctidsubarctic material. Six taxa new to science have been described from the Weddell Sea, Wigwamma antarctica, W. triradiata, Trigonaspis melvillea, Pappomonas weddellensis, Papposphaera obpyramidalis , and P. simplicissima . The cooccurrence of identical forms at the two poles, and the fact that the species described are allocated to "arctic" genera, indicate a geologically relatively recent exchange of biological material between the poles.     

Feeding ecology of phaeodarian radiolarians at the VERTEX North Pacific time series site

Feeding ecology of five species of phaeodarians was analyzedusing samples collected in a timeseries of sediment trap deploymentsfrom October 1986-May 1988 from 100–2000 m at an oligotrophicnorth Pacific site. Quantitative analysis using transmissionelectron microscopy of contents of feeding vacuoles showed thatheterotrophic flagellates and eukaryotic algae followed by bacteria,and then prokaryotic algae, constituted the largest volumesof recognizable organisms consumed throughout the depth rangesampled. Phaeodarians were predominantly generalists, appearedto feed on sinking organic aggregates, and may select eukaryotesover higher biomass bacteria. Other than a decrease in totalrecognizable cells with increasing depth, few seasonal or depthpatterns in consumed food occurred in this oligotrophic environment.Vacuole contents of co-occurring species showed no evidenceof food resource partitioning. The trophic role of phaeodariansis that of consumers of small eukaryotes and prokaryotes andrepackages of detritus throughout the water column. ³Present address: Electron Microscope Laboratory, 26 GianniniHall, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA     

Effect of an exercise run to exhaustion on cAMP in the rat heart

The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) content is increased in vivo in the heart as a result of exercise at a time when there is rapid cardiac glycogen utilization. Rats were run to exhaustion on a treadmill for a period of 164.5 +/- 9.5 min. Blood norepinephrine and epinephrine were significantly elevated approximately 2.5-fold above resting levels at the end of the treadmill run. Myocardial glycogen was reduced by 54.7% at exhaustion compared with control values. Myocardial cAMP was significantly elevated 88% above control levels as a result of the run. Associated with the depletion of myocardial glycogen and the elevation of cAMP was an activation of phosphorylase to its a form. These data suggest that myocardial glycogen metabolism during exercise is, in part, mediated by hormonal influences that are associated with increases in cAMP.