Desangeloylshairidin,X-ray structure determination of a sesquiterpene lactone from Guillonea scabra

The structure and absolute configuration of desangeloylshairidin, a guaianolide isolated from Guillonea scabra, have been established by X-ray diffraction analysis. No conformational change was observed in its seven-membered ring between the crystal and deuterochloroform solution states.     

Inhibition of the graft-versus-host response by BCGcw-induced suppressor cells or prostaglandin E1

Immunization of C57BL/6 mice with BCGcw stimulated a population of "suppressor cells" which had a decreased capacity to induce the graft-versus-host response. The graft-versus-host response was quantitated using the Simonsen splenomegaly assay. F1 mice (C57BL/6 X CBA) were inoculated intraperitoneally with 1 X 10(8) parental (C57BL/6) or (CBA) spleen cells. The F1 mice were sacrificed 13 days later and the resulting splenomegaly was 3-4 times the normal amount. F1 mice which were injected with parental BCGcw-primed C57BL/6 spleen cells had a 50% inhibition of splenomegaly, whereas BCGcw-primed CBA spleen cells (a strain which does not develop suppressor cells) did not show this inhibition. In vitro results also confirmed that only C57BL/6 mice and not CBA mice developed suppressor cells after BCGcw immunization. A second study showed that X-irradiated (1000 R) BCGcw-primed "suppressor cells" could inhibit splenomegaly caused by the inoculation of normal parental C57BL/6 cells into F1 mice. The mechanism by which BCGcw-primed "suppressor cells" caused this inhibition of splenomegaly was delineated and found to be dependent upon the secretion of prostaglandin (PGE-1). Indomethacin and aspirin, potent inhibitors of prostaglandin synthesis, blocked the activity of C57BL/6 BCGcw "suppressor cells" and splenomegaly resulted. Systemic administration of the prostaglandin (15S)-15-methyl PGE-1 reduced splenomegaly approximately 50% in F1 mice which were injected with C57BL/6 or CBA cells. These results indicated that immunization with BCGcw stimulated a population of "suppressor cells" which could cause a decrease in graft-versus-host response and that the secretion of prostaglandin was responsible for this inhibition.     

Cerebrospinal fluid-contacting neurons of the central canal and terminal ventricle in various vertebrates

Cell and Tissue Research - Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)-contacting neurons were studied by means of electron microscopy in the spinal cord and/or terminal ventricle of the ray, Raja clavata...     

Immunologic and clinical improvement of progressive coccidioidomycosis following administration of transfer factor

Three patients with progressive coccidioidomycosis were given preparations of transfer factor (TF). Adverse reactions to TF were minimal. Following TF administration two of these patients had prolonged clinical remissions in their coccidioidal disease. Cellular immune responses were sequentially evaluated by coccidioidininduced delayed-type skin tests, lymphocyte blast transformation and macrophage inhibition factor production (MIF). These three patients each exhibited different cellular immune patterns before and after TF administration. Two patients converted their coccidioidin skin tests, and one converted lymphocyte transformation response to coccidioidin. Also, TF apparently favorably affected the MIF response in all three patients.     

Antigenic relationships between Aracoccidioides loboi and other pathogenic fungi determined by immunofluorescence

Summary The fluorescent antibody technique was used to study antigenic relationships betweenParacoccidioides loboi and other pathogenic fungi. The findings suggest thatP. loboi is more closely related antigenically to certainP. brasiliensis strains than to others and that it has antigens in common with the yeast form ofHistoplasma capsulatum, H. duboisii, Blastomyces dermatitidis, Candida albicans and also the mycelial form ofCoccidioides immitis. Serum globulins from 3 cases of keloidal blastomycosis were labelled with fluorescein isothiocyanate. These conjugates showed slight or no reactivity withP. loboi, the yeast forms ofP. brasiliensis, H. capsulatum, H. duboisii andB. dermatitidis, However, they stained brightlyC. albicans, serotypes A and B, the tissue form ofC. immitis and the yeast form ofSporotrichum schenckii. Adsorption of these reagents withC. albicans eliminated all staining except that forS. schenckii. These patients had no history of clinical sporotrichosis.Deceased. Last address: Fundacão Gonçalo Moniz, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. Requests for reprints should be sent to Dr.William Kaplan.Dr.Miranda is in private practice in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.     

Close karyological kinship between the reptilian suborder serpentes and the class aves

Summary In contrast to the situation found in two classes of warm-blooded vertebrates, mammals and birds, the class Reptilia is not uniform with regard to total genetic content; rather, it contains two distinct categories. The close cytological kinship between snakes and birds was revealed. Both are almost identical in total genetic content, which is about 50 per cent that of placental mammals. Both have microchromosomes, as well as Z-chromosomes very similar in absolute size, comprising nearly 10 per cent of the homogametic haploid (AZ) set. This leads to the implication that snakes and birds originated from the same lineage, and that their Z-chromosomes have not changed substantially since the Jurassic period of the Mesozoic era, about 180 million years ago.Within the reptilian suborder Serpentes, the step-by-step differentiation from the primitive ZW pair to the grossly heteromorphic ZW pair could be observed. In the ancient family Boidae, the sex chromosomes were still homomorphic to each other. In the family Colubridae, the beginning of heteromorphism was manifested in two ways. In some species, a pericentric inversion on the W caused it to differ from the Z; in others, duplication of the W occurred. In the family Crotalidae, the W had apparently achieved its very specialized status; it was a distinctly smaller element.In Säo Paulo, this work was supported by Fundacão de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo e Fundo de Pesquisas do Instituto Butantan. In Duarte, this work was supported in part by grant CA-05138-05, National Cancer Institute, U. S. Public Health Service. Contribution No. 36-64, Department of Biology, City of Hope Medical Center.