The picoplankton in Antarctic lakes of northern Victoria Land during summer 1989–1990

Summary Photoautotrophic picoplankton is reported from some lakes located near the Italian Antarctic station of Terra Nova. Observations, carried out by both flow cytometry on water samples and electron microscopy on micro-organisms in cultures from each lake, have confirmed the occurrence in all the environments studied of this fraction accounting, in several cases, for more than the 50% of the phytoplankton, measured as chlorophyll. Cultures of the picoplankton fraction from these waters contained known prokaryotic (Synechococcus) and eukaryotic (Chlorella) genera as well as two unidentified entities, possibly prochlorophytes.     

Differential effect of cyclosporine A on respiratory burst by several types of human leukocytic cells.

The effect of cyclosporine on PMA-stimulated superoxide production has been studied on human alveolar macrophages, human neutrophils, cytoplasts and Epstein-Barr-virus-transformed B lymphocytes. Cyclosporine inhibits superoxide production in alveolar macrophages but not in neutrophils and cytoplasts. The respiratory burst of B-lymphocytes was scarcely inhibited by cyclosporine. The activity of NADPH oxidase from macrophages and neutrophils was not directly affected by cyclosporine. These data are considered in relation with the proposed mechanism for cyclosporine action and the stimulation of the respiratory burst.     

T3 reverses the changes in met-enkephalin and beta-endorphin contents in the anterior lobe, but not the neuro-intermediate lobe of the pituitary of rats rendered hypothyroid by PTU-treatment

The changes in met-enkephalin and beta-endorphin contents in the pituitary in PTU-induced hypothyroidism were studied in the rat. After 2 weeks of PTU-treatment, both IR-met-enkephalin and IR-beta-endorphin contents in the pituitary were significantly reduced. Gel filtration chromatography followed by radioimmunoassay showed that the immunoactivities in the peaks of precursors, met-enkephalin, beta-lipotropin and beta-endorphin were all lower in the pituitaries from the PTU-treated rats. In another experiment, some of the PTU-treated rats were injected daily with 500 micrograms T3/kg b.w. In the hypothyroid rats, IR-met-enkephalin and IR-beta-endorphin contents were decreased in both the anterior and neurointermediate lobes. Only the changes in the anterior lobe were reversed by T3 treatment. In conclusion, while the effects on the anterior lobe are probably due to a deficiency in thyroid hormones, the mechanism for the decrease of opioid peptide contents in the neurointermediate lobe is still unclear.     

Prolactin response to sulpiride in non insulin dependent diabetes mellitus

Blood glucose, insulin and prolactin concentrations were determined before and after sulpiride injection (50 mg i.m.) in 20 non-insulin-dependent diabetic patients (10 with retinopathy and 10 without evidence of retinal damage) and 10 subjects with normal glucose tolerance. Prolactin response to sulpiride was significantly higher in diabetics than in controls (at 20 min., p less than 0.01; at 30 and 60 min., p less than 0.005; at 90 min., p less than 0.01; at 120 min., p less than 0.05). The sulpiride induced hyperprolactinemia did not influence blood glucose and plasma insulin levels in controls as well as in diabetic patients. Prolactin response to sulpiride was the same in diabetics with and in those without retinal changes. We conclude that acute hyperprolactinemia seems to have no influence on glucose homeostasis in normal and non insulin-dependent diabetic subjects.     

Amino acid sequence of rabbit ventricular myosin light chain-2: Identity with the slow skeletal muscle isoform

Many studies have established a correlation of differences in the activities of various muscle types with differences in the expression of myosin isoforms. In this paper we report the sequence determination of myosin light chain-2 from rabbit slow skeletal (LC2s) and ventricular (LC2v) nmscles. We sequenced tryptic peptides from LC2v which account for all except a few terminal amino acid residues. The major part (87 residues) of the rabbit LC2s sequence, obtained from tryptic and cyanogen bromide (CNBr) peptides, was found to be identical to rabbit LC2v. Our results provide the first sequence information on LC2s from any species, and lend strong support to the hypothesis that LC2s and LC2v are identical. Comparisons of rabbit LC2v and LC2s with rabbit LC2f (from fast skeletal muscle), and also with chicken LC2f and LC2v, show clearly that LC2s and LC2v from mammalian and avian species are more closely related to each other than they are to LC2f isoforms from the same species.     

Glucose compensation, serum lipids and thyroid hormones (rT3 and rT3/T3 ratio in non-insulin-dependent (type 2) diabetics: 2

In 45 type 2 diabetics it was unable to be found a relation between the plasma lipids and the fasting blood glucose (G), HbA1c, reverse T3 (rT3), rT3/T3 ratio, and relative body weight (R.B.W.). The conclusion was reached that the alteration of the lipoprotein metabolism and the thyroid hormones in type 2 diabetics could be primitive and independent from the availability of the insulin.     

Effects of high-frequency oscillatory ventilation on vagal and phrenic nerve activities

This study was undertaken to define the mechanism for the respiratory inhibition observed during high-frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV). The effects of HFOV on the activities of single units in the vagus (Vna) and phrenic nerves (Pna) were examined in pentobarbital-anesthetized dogs. The animals were either ventilated by intermittent positive-pressure ventilation (IPPV) with and without positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP), or by HFOV at a frequency of 25 Hz and pump displacement volume of 3 ml/kg. In 13 vagal units the Vna was much higher during HFOV than during IPPV or airway occlusion at a matched airway pressure. Ten units in the phrenic nerves were examined, and Pna (expressed as bursts/min) was attenuated by HFOV in all of them. In four of them, the effect of cooling the vagi to 8-10 degrees C on Pna was examined, and it was found that HFOV failed to alter the Pna. We conclude that 1) HFOV stimulates the pulmonary vagal afferent fibers continuously and to a degree greater than that due to static lung inflation and increased airway pressure and 2) the increased vagal activity during HFOV probably causes phrenic nerve activity inhibition.     

LIGHT AND ELECTRON MICROSCOPIC RADIOAUTOGRAPHY OF HEPATIC CELL NUCLEOLI IN MICE TREATED WITH ACTINOMYCIN D

Nucleolar partition induced by actinomycin D was used to demonstrate some aspects of nucleolar RNA synthesis and release in mouse hepatic cells, with light and electron microscopic radioautography. The effect of the drug on RNA synthesis and nucleolar morphology was studied when actinomycin D treatment preceded labeling with tritiated orotic acid. Nucleolar partition, consisting of a segegration into granular and fibrillar parts was visible if a dosage of 25 µg of actinomycin D was used, but nucleolar RNA was still synthesized. After a dosage of 400 µg of actinomycin D, nucleolar RNA synthesis was completely stopped If labeling with tritiated orotic acid preceded treatment with 400 µg of actinomycin D, labeled nucleolar RNA was present 15 min after actinomycin D treatment while high resolution radioautography showed an association of silver grains with the granular component. At 30 min after actinomicyn D treatment all labeling was lost. Since labeling was associated with the granular component the progressive loss of label as a result of actinomycin D treatment indicated a release of nucleolar granules. The correlation between this release and the loss of 28S RNA from actinomycin D treated nucleoli as described in the literature is discussed.