Induction by progesterone of a sexual dimorphism of estrogen uptake by anterior pituitary cells in situ

Summary The effects of progesterone pretreatment on in vivo ³H-estrogen uptake by five anterior pituitary cell types was analyzed by means of a quantitative autoradiographic-immunocytochemical technique. Male and female rats castrated for 14 days show nuclear concentration of label in all five cell types one h after injection of ³H-estradiol, whether progesterone treated or not. The order of labeling intensity is gonadotropes lactotropes = somatotropes > thyrotropes = corticotropes. Progesterone treatment induces a dramatic sexual dimorphism in estrogen uptake; it significantly increases ³H-estrogen uptake in all female cell types. In males, progesterone decreases uptake in gonadotropes while not altering uptake in other cell types.Supported by PHS grant HD 12173 and Research Career Development Award HD 00243. Portions of these data were presented at the American Association of Anatomists meeting, Omaha, 1980I wish to acknowledge Mr. Sing Kung Lau for his excellent technical assistance and Dr. P. Rodier for her advice and assistance with the statistical analyses. I also wish to thank Dr. A.F. Parlow and NIAMDD for antisera against rLH, hFSH, rPRL and rTSH and Dr. Peter Petrusz, University of North Carolina, for antisera against bGH and h endorphin     

Prostaglandin E1 effects on resting and cholinergically stimulated lower esophageal sphincter pressure in cats

Intraluminal esophageal manometry with a sleeve catheter was used to compare the magnitude of decrease in lower esophageal spincter (LES) pressure produced by an arterial or venous infusion of prostaglandin E₁ in cats. Arterial PGE₁ produced significantly lower LES pressures than venous PGE₁ (p < 0.05). Maximal decrease of 75% in basal LES pressure occurred with an associated 15% decrease in systolic blood pressure. The site of action of PGE₁ in producing LES hypotension was studied by injection of either edrophonium, or bethanechol during the maximal PGE₁ effects. Bethanechol, which acts directly on sphincteric smooth muscle, produced an increase in LES pressure during both saline and PGE₁ infusion, while the increases in LES pressure seen with edrophonium during saline infusion were blocked during the PGE₁ infusion. From these studies, we conclude that PGE₁ produces LES hypotension in the cat by an inhibitory effect on the cholinergic pathway responsible for maintaining LES tone. These studies pharmacologically reproduce the LES pressure abnormality previously reported in the cat during acid-induced esophagitis and support the hypothesis that PGE₁ may be involved in the pathogenesis of acute acid-induced lower esophageal sphincter abnormalities.     

Tests of two models for the transmission of the Mu mutator in maize

Molecular Genetics and Genomics - The mutator system Mu does not follow a typical Mendelian mode of transmission. In outcrosses in which 50 per cent mutator plants are expected, about 90 per cent...     

Transition of Thiobacillus ferrooxidans KG-4 from heterotrophic growth on glucose to autotrophic growth on ferrous-iron

The reputedly obligately organotrophic Thiobacillus ferrooxidans KG-4 cultured on glucose contained a small proportion of cells which grew autotrophically on ferrous-iron.     

Photochemical oxidation of tyrosinase

Dye sensitized photo-oxidation inactivates tyrosinases isolated from Neurospora and Agaricus. The rate of inactivation is enhanced by cyanide and is dependent on pH.     

Quercetin inhibits hexose transport in a human diploid fibroblast

Summary The flavonol quercetin, a phloretin analog, inhibits transport of 2-deoxyglucose and 3-O-methylglucose in a cultured human diploid fibroblast. This inhibition is related to transport itself and not to the reported effects of flavonoids on membrane-bound ATPases. From concentration-inhibition curves at several pH's we conclude that uncharged (acid) quercetin (pK=7.65) is the inhibitory form of the molecule (K _I =10m). Quercetin, unlike phloretin, is rapidly degraded in 0.1n NaOH; the degradation products are weakly inhibitory to hexose transport.     

The amino acid sequences of plastocyanin from Mercurialis perennis and Capsella bursa-pastoris

The amino acid sequences of the plastocyanins from Mercurialis perennis and Capsella bursa-pastoris have been determined. The amides at positions 64 and 68 in the Mercurialis sequence were positioned by ‘homology’ Both proteins are single polypeptide chains of 99 residues and are closely related to other higher plant plastocyanins.