Clinical and Serological Response after Experimental Inoculation with Babesia Divergens of Newborn Calves with and without Maternal Antibodies

The influence of maternal antibodies on clinical and serological response after experimental inoculation with Babesia divergens of newborn calves was studied. Five calves, born to dams seropositive for B.divergens, (Group 1) had specific maternal antibodies when tested 12 h after their first feeding of colostrum. At that point they were inoculated i.v. with B.divergens infected erythrocytes. Five other calves, born to dams seronegative for B.divergens, (Group 2) had no Babesia specific maternal antibodies when inoculated at the same age. Babesia divergens organisms were demonstrated in blood smears from calves in both groups at some point 5 to 10 days p.i. All calves in both groups had B.divergens specific IgM antibodies at 7 to 17 days p.i. as shown by a modified IF-test. Specific IgG antibodies, transferred by colostrum, were found in all calves of Group 1 before inoculation of B.divergens. The IgG titre of these animals increased by a doubling dilution step at 11–25 days p.i. Among calves of Group 2 specific IgG antibodies were found at first between day 9 and 15 p.i. Both IgM and IgG antibody titres had to be investigated since demonstrated IgG antibodies can originate both from maternally transferred antibodies and from actively produced antibodies after an infection. There was no difference in clinical parameters; parasitaemia, PCV, Hb, and rectal temperature between the groups. This experiment gives evidence that there can be a resistance to bovine babesiosis in newborn calves independent of maternal antibodies.     

Effect of rhodium (III) complex on experimental carcinogenesis in the livers of rats treated with thioacetamide

Enzyme activities and protein content were determined in the cytosolic and mitochondrial fractions of liver homogenates obtained from Rh(III) complex-, thioacetamide- and thioacetamide + Rh(III) complex-treated rats. The Rh(III) complex administered to nonthioacetamide-treated rats produced no significant changes either in the enzymatic activities assayed or in the protein concentration. The Rh(III) complex administered to thioacetamide-treated rats produced significant restoration of the following altered values: cytosolic and mitochondrial aspartate aminotransferase, glutamate dehydrogenase, NADP-isocitrate dehydrogenase, and protein concentration. However, a further increase was produced in the activities of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and malic enzyme. These increases can be interpreted in terms of an enhancement of the NADPH-dependent detoxifying processes and of nucleic acid synthesis and repair.     

The in vitro synthesis and characteristics of ribosomal RNA in imaginal discs of Drosophila melanogaster

Summary Late third instar imaginal discs of Drosophila melanogaster cultured in vitro in Robb's tissue culture medium synthesize 38S, 28S and 18S ribosomal RNAs which are qualitatively indistinguishable from their in vivo synthesized counterparts (Fig. 1). As found in other insect systems, the 38S molecule appears to be the precursor for both the 28S and 18S rRNAs (Figs. 2, 3 and 4). The 28S rRNA and a portion of the 38S pre-rRNA shift in sedimentation value upon exposure to heat or dimethylsulfoxide (Figs. 5 and 8). Studies of the thermal denaturations of these molecules (Figs. 6, 7 and 9) indicate the existence of a single class of 28S rRNA, but three classes of 38S pre-rRNAs. The addition of -ecdysone to the in vitro culture medium stimulates the net amount of rRNA synthesized, increases the rate of processing of the 38S precursor and increases the relative amount of 18S material produced (Figs. 10 and 12).This work was supported in part by grants from the National Science Foundation (GB-8176) and from the Atomic Energy Commission (AT-04-3-34).Predoctoral Trainees, PHS Training Grant No. 2-Tl-GM367 from Research Training Grants Branch, National Institute of General Medical Sciences.1 For purposes of simplification we shall refer to the rRNA molecules of D. melanogaster as being 38S, 30S, 28S and 18S; however, it should be noted that these values are approximate (see Hastings and Kirby, 1966; Greenberg, 1969; Tartof and Perry, 1970).     

Endogenous gibberellin levels and senescence in Taraxacum officinale

Summary The level of endogenous gibberellins (GAs) in leaf tissue of Taraxacum officinale was high during leaf growth and expansion but declined progressively during leaf senescence. In the chromatographic system used, most of the GA from Taraxacum leaves moves with the R_f of GA₃. However, several other GAs were also effective in retarding senescence in Taraxacum leaves. It is concluded that ageing of dandelion leaves is associated with a deficiency of endogenous GA.     

Bronchial Reactivity to Cigarette and Cigar Smoke

The change in specific airway conductance produced by smoking a cigarette under standard conditions was measured in 91 heavy smokers. Subsequently 19 of the most reactive subjects smoked two cigarettes with different filters and another containing cigar tobacco. The results indicated that reactivity to cigarette smoke was reduced significantly by increasing the retention efficiency of the filter and that reactivity to inhaled cigar-tobacco smoke was no less than that to cigarette smoke.     

Specific Binding of Rubidium in Chlorella

Specific binding sites for potassium, which may be components of the carriers for active transport for K in Chlorella, were characterized by their capacity to bind rubidium. A dense suspension was allowed to take up Rb⁸⁶ from a low concentration of Rb⁸⁶ and a high concentration of ions which saturate non-specific sites. The amount bound was derived from the increase in the external concentration of Rb⁸⁶ following addition of excess potassium. The sites were heterogeneous. The average affinity of Rb and various other ions for the sites was determined by plotting the degree of displacement of Rb⁸⁶ against log molar concentration of the individual ions. Interpolation gave the concentration for 50 per cent displacement of Rb, which is inversely related to affinity. The order of affinity was not changed when the cells were frozen, or boiled either in water or in 70 per cent ethanol. The affinity is maximal for ions with a crystalline radius of 1.3 to 1.5 A and a high polarizability, and is not related to the hydrated radius or valency. It is suggested that binding groups in a site are rigidly arranged, the irregular space between them being 2.6 to 3.0 A across, so that affinity is high for ions of this diameter and high polarizability.