Carbonic anhydrase activity in the blood of adult sheep, fetal sheep and lambs

The activity of carbonic anhydrase (E.C.4.2.1.1) (CA) has been measured in the blood of adult and fetal sheep and lambs. The mean activity in adult sheep was 0.89 enzyme units (EU) per 100 micrograms of Hb. The activity in fetal sheep aged 90 days was just below 20% of this and in fetuses near full term was just under 40% of the mean adult level. The regression line gave an increase of CA activity (per 100 micrograms Hb) of 0.004 EU/day. The appearance of CA in fetal blood normally occurred before any detectable production of adult Hb. One aberrant fetus showed early development of the adult pattern in the red cells, having adult type Hb and adult levels of CA during the period of 116-128 days of fetal age. In the period after birth the CA level in the blood rose rapidly, reaching the adult level 30 days after birth. During this period activity per 100 micrograms HB increased by 0.014 EU/day, significantly faster than during fetal life.     

Properties and serum levels of pregnancy-associated variant of human transcortin

The amino acid composition, N- and C-terminal amino acid sequences, and the basic physicochemical and immunochemical properties of the recently discovered pregnancy-associated molecular variant of human transcortin (Strel'chyonok, O.A., Avvakumov, G.V. and Akhrem, A.A. (1984) Carbohydr. Res. 134, 133-140) have been found to be identical to those of transcortin from normal donor serum. This suggests the identity of polypeptide moieties of the two glycoproteins. The transcortin variant has a lower isoelectric point (3.5-4.1) than normal transcortin (3.6-4.2), and different electrophoretic mobility in low-porosity polyacrylamide gel (one band versus two for normal transcortin). These differences can be reasonably explained by different organization of the carbohydrate moieties of these glycoproteins due to diverse post-translational modification of a single polypeptide chain. The levels of transcortin variant in the maternal venous serum throughout normal gestation (447 donors in all) and on the fifth day after delivery, as well as in umbilical cord serum and extracts of term placenta, have been measured by a radioimmune assay. Analysis of the data obtained allowed us to conclude that the biosynthesis of pregnancy-associated transcortin variant occurs in some organ of the maternal organism rather than in the feto-placental system, and it is a characteristic of pregnancy as a unique physiological state of the female organism rather than a phenomenon caused by individual features of certain women. We assume that the transcortin variant takes part in the guided transport of corticosteroids and/or progestins into some tissues that develop in the course of gestation.     

Experimental investigations in prolonged myocardial ischaemia. Note I. Biology of the myocardial fiber after transient myocardial fiber after transient myocardial ischaemia

The first ten days' evolution of post-ischaemic lesions of the premonitory or angina pectoris syndrome type was experimentally studied by the challenge of a short-term (10 and 15 min) ischaemia, of an adaptation to ischaemia and an adaptation followed by prolonged ischaemia (20 and 35 min). Worthy of note was the persistence of reversible lesions after short-term ischaemia and adaptation, and the progressive evolution towards cytolysis and cicatrization of some pancicellular foci after adaptation followed by prolonged ischaemia. The role of mitochondrial lesions, of lysosomal hydrolases, the inefficiency of renewed circulation, as well as problems of diagnosis are discussed.     

A Simple Survival Model for Combined Action of Two Damaging Agents

The aim of this study was mathematical formalization of the development of two damage processes in response to the combined action of two different damaging agents. The model allows to obtain the parametric family of distributions for the life-span when the organism's death is due to joint effect of two damage processes. Differing by their probabilistic meaning the notions of a priori (M (t)) and a posteriori (M(y)) conditional mean contributions of each damage process to the final effect of combined injury are introduced. The formulas permitting to compute the M and M values on the basis of survival data parametric analysis are given.     

Relationship between cell density and prolidase activity in human skin fibroblasts: effects of ascorbate and fructose

To evaluate the influence of cell density on the activity of fibroblast prolidase (EC 3.4.13.9), we determined this activity in sparse and dense cultures. We also investigated, the effects of different concentrations of β-d(?) fructose and l(+) ascorbate, which both increased cell density at confluency. For a fructose concentration of 25 mM, we observed that in the absence of glucose, intracellular total proteins increased 1.5-fold and prolidase specific activity, 1.8-fold. For ascorbate, a broad optimum concentration was found (range 0.01 – 0.50 mM). Addition to cultures of 0.1 mM ascorbate increased total proteins 1.4-fold, and doubled prolidase activity. This investigation was prompted by our previous results [J. Metab. Dis. 1983, 6, 27–31], confirmed here, and suggesting that increased prolidase activity at confluency was due to a rise in cell density.     

Infant Mortality Risk and Paternity Certainty Are Associated with Postnatal Maternal Behavior toward Adult Male Mountain Gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei)

Sexually selected infanticide is an important source of infant mortality in many mammalian species. In species with long-term male-female associations, females may benefit from male protection against infanticidal outsiders. We tested whether mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei) mothers in single and multi-male groups monitored by the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund’s Karisoke Research Center actively facilitated interactions between their infants and a potentially protective male. We also evaluated the criteria mothers in multi-male groups used to choose a preferred male social partner. In single male groups, where infanticide risk and paternity certainty are high, females with infants <1 year old spent more time near and affiliated more with males than females without young infants. In multi-male groups, where infanticide rates and paternity certainty are lower, mothers with new infants exhibited few behavioral changes toward males. The sole notable change was that females with young infants proportionally increased their time near males they previously spent little time near when compared to males they had previously preferred, perhaps to encourage paternity uncertainty and deter aggression. Rank was a much better predictor of females’ social partner choice than paternity. Older infants (2–3 years) in multi-male groups mirrored their mothers’ preferences for individual male social partners; 89% spent the most time in close proximity to the male their mother had spent the most time near when they were <1 year old. Observed discrepancies between female behavior in single and multi-male groups likely reflect different levels of postpartum intersexual conflict; in groups where paternity certainty and infanticide risk are both high, male-female interests align and females behave accordingly. This highlights the importance of considering individual and group-level variation when evaluating intersexual conflict across the reproductive cycle.     

Sex ratios under asymmetrical local mate competition in the parasitoid wasp Nasonia vitripennis

Sex ratio theory has proved remarkably useful in testing theadaptive nature of animal behavior. A particularly productivearea in this respect is Hamilton's theory of local mate competition(LMC), which has been extended in numerous directions to includegreater biological realism, allowing more detailed tests inspecific organisms. We have presented one such extension, termedasymmetrical LMC, which occurs when egg laying by females ona patch is asynchronous, and emerging males do not disperse,resulting in the extent of LMC on a patch varying over time.Our aim here is to test whether the parasitoid wasp Nasoniavitripennis responds to variation in the degree of asymmetricalLMC. Specifically, we show that females adjust their offspringsex ratios in response to (1) variation in the amount of asynchronyin emergence between broods on a patch and (2) the number andproportion of previously parasitized hosts on the patch. Ourresults provide qualitative support for the predictions of theory,suggesting new levels of complexity in the sex ratio behaviorof this much-studied organism. However, our results do not alwaysprovide quantitative support for theory, suggesting furthercomplexities that must be clarified.