Analysis of cellular interactions in density-dependent inhibition of 3T3 Cell proliferation

Subpopulations of different proliferative status are determined during cell-density dependent proliferation of 3T3 cells. From these data the probability of conversion of proliferative to quiescent cells is derived and found to correlate well with published data on binding of growth-inhibiting factors secreted from growth-inhibited cells.Based on material presented at the Symposium Intercellular Communication Stuttgart, September 16–17, 1982     

A simple,rapid assay for cysteamine and other thiols

Cysteamine is under investigation as an aid in radiation therapy and as a treatment for the inherited disorder cystinosis. An assay is presented for its measurement in biological fluids. The specific reaction of thiosulfonates with sulfhydryl compounds is employed to form a radiolabeled derivative of cysteamine which is then isolated by high-voltage electrophoresis on paper. Cysteamine can be measured in aqueous solutions, plasma, and urine with this method.     

Benzodiazepine hypnotics remain effective for 24 weeks.

Ninety-seven poor sleepers aged 40-68 years took capsules nightly for 32 weeks and made daily subjective ratings. The benzodiazepine hypnotics lormetazepam 2 mg and nitrazepam 5 mg appeared still to improve sleep after 24 weeks of intake when compared with continuous placebo intake. The sustained effectiveness was most evident in a significant shortening of the time taken to fall asleep in patients receiving lormetazepam. After weeks, sleep latency and the quality of sleep were significantly worse than baseline values. The impairment was maximal on the second night after withdrawal of lormetazepam and on the fourth night after withdrawal of nitrazepam. It is concluded that benzodiazepines remain effective for at least 24 weeks but that a period of disturbed sleep may be expected after withdrawal.     

Formation of human immunoreactive LMW and HMW-kininogens during coagulation. Comparison with bradykinin activity

Variations of the levels of human HMW and LMW kininogens have been studied in serum and in plasma incubated in vitro during 30 hours, at three different temperatures: 4 degrees, 22 degrees and 37 degrees C. There is a small difference between the level of LMW kininogen in plasma and in serum, but the serum and plasma level of LMW kininogen are almost stable during the time of incubation at the three temperatures. However, HMW kininogen is reduced in serum to about fifty percent of its plasma level. It decreases in plasma and in serum during incubation, overall at 4 degrees C. A strict parallelism stays between the radioimmunoassay and the bioassay.     

Regulation of passive potassium transport of normal and transformed 3T3 mouse cell cultures by external calcium concentration and temperature

Summary Regulation of passive potassium ion transport by the external calcium concentration and temperature was studied on cell cultures of 3T3 mouse cells and their DNA-virus transformed derivatives. Upon lowering of external calcium concentration, passive potassium efflux generally exhibits a sharp increase at about 0.1mm. The fraction of calcium-regulated potassium efflux is largely independent of temperature in the cases of the transformed cells, but shows a sharp increase for 3T3 cells upon increasing temperature above 32°C. In the same range of temperature, the 3T3 cells exhibit the phenomenon of high-temperature inactivation of the residual potassium efflux at 1mm external calcium. At comparable cellular growth densities, the transformed cell lines do not show high-temperature inactivation of residual potassium efflux. These results are consistent with the notion of a decisive role of the internal K⁺ concentration in the cell-density dependent regulation of cell proliferation. In particular, the growth-inhibiting effect of lowering the external Ca²⁺ concentrations is considered as largely due to a rise of passive K⁺ efflux and a subsequent decrease of internal K⁺ concentration. The experimental data on the Ca²⁺ dependence of passive K⁺ flux are quantitatively described by a theoretical model based on the constant field relations including negative surface charges on the external face of the membrane, which cooperatively bind Ca²⁺ ions and may concomitantly undergo a lateral redistribution. The present evidence is consistent with acidic phospholipids as representing these negative surface charges.This work is dedicated to the memory of Max Delbrück (deceased March 10, 1981), in whose laboratory in 1966 the earlier version of the present theoretical model was developed by one of the authors.     

Effects of general anesthetics on search in memory in man.

Recovery of search functions in long-term memory following several hours of anesthesia was studied on human volunteers. Verbal as well as visual search was assessed. The anesthetics used, fluroxene and halothane, slowed down considerably the verbal search for the first few hours following anesthesia, but had very little effect on the following day. No effect was observed a week later. Visual search was not affected at all, in accordance with previous findings indicating a selective effect of low concentrations of inhalation anesthetics on verbal memory.     

Relationship between the chromatoid body and the acrosomal system in early spermatids of Myxine glutinosa L.

Summary A transient close relationship between the chromatoid body and the developing acrosome is demonstrated in early spermatids of Myxine glutinosa.This work was supported by the Norwegian Research Council for Science and Humanities (NAVF, Grant Nr. D 61.44) and the Austrian Fonds zur Förderung der wissenschaftlichen Forschung, Projekt 2183     

The reaction of phosphorus pentachloride with amides,in particular 2-acetamido-2-deoxyaldohexopyranoses

2-acetamido-2-deoxyaldohexopyranose polyacetates are transformed by the action of phosphorus pentachloride into 2-tetrachloroethylideneamino derivatives, the trans-2-acetamido-l-acetate system reacting more rapidly than the cis. A 1-acetamido-pyranosyl polyacetate afforded the 1-tetrachloroethylideneamino derivative and 2-O-trichloroacetyl-β-D-glucopyranosyl chloride. The latter was also observed, amongst other products, from the reaction of β-D-glucopyranosyl azide tetra-acetate with phosphorus pentachloride. Similar reactions on acetamidocyclohexane and its 2-acetoxy derivative afforded dichloroacetamido, trichloroacetamido, and tetrachloroethylideneamino derivatives. Likewise, 1-acetamido-2-acetoxyethane gave the 1-dichloroacetamido derivative.     

Cell surface charge and regulation of cell division of 3T3 cells and transformed derivatives.

The cell surface charge of 3T3, 3T6, SV40-3T3 cells and trypsin-, neuraminidase- and serumtreated preparations of these has been characterized by microcell electrophoresis. At 25 °C, density-inhibited 3T3 cells show a decrease in electrophoretic mobility when treated with various stimuli of cell division. This effect is not observed at 25 °C for transformed derivatives. The surface charge configuration of various cell preparations exhibits a thermal transition which is located within a temperature range characteristic of each preparation. These and other results from cell electrophoresis, taken together with those obtained in agglutination studies by other authors, are considered evidence for the occurrence in the plasma membrane of these cells of a twodimensional phase separation. The temperature range of this phase separation is shifted on treating the cells by growth stimuli. This effect might be an indication of a basic trigger mechanism in the cell cycle.     

The effect of streptococcus on the persistence of Brugia malayi and on the production of elephantiasis in cats

Cats were exposed to 200 Brugia malayi larvae on one hind foot over a 3 week period. Six weeks after the initial exposure to B. malayi, 10 of the cats were challenged on both hind legs with a Group G streptococcus. The remaining 10 cats were not exposed to the streptococcus. Following bacterial challenge, the B. malayi-infected leg of 9 of 10 cats displayed sequelae including erysipelas and abscesses. In addition, 5 of the affected legs had an elephantoid appearance, both by gross observation and as seen at necropsy 10 weeks after the initial B. malayi infection. The contralateral, uninfected leg of each cat remained normal in appearance. Histologic processing and examination of the elephantoid tissue showed it to be collagen; eosinophils and mast cells were plentiful in the collagen matrix. In the controls, only 1 animal displayed erysipelas and no abscesses were seen. Lymphedema seen in the B. malayi-infected leg of 5 control cats was less extensive than in uninfected cats challenged with streptococci and at necropsy no significant collagen matrix was evident. The location and number of worms in the lymphatics were noted. This study demonstrated that secondary microbial infections can contribute to the causation of elephantiasis under certain circumstances and that developing B. malayi were in some way adversely affected by the streptococcal involvement of the filaria-infected lymphatics.