Improvement of first-service pregnancy rate in cows with gonadotropin-releasing hormone analog

The effect of an intramuscular injection of a new analog of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH), fertirelin, on the first-service pregnancy rate in cows was investigated by a double blind experiment. A total of 1,194 cows was injected intramuscularly either with 100 mug of GnRH or placebo (physiological saline solution) at the time of first insemination postpartum. Pregnancy rate (number of cows calved/ number of cows serviced) was 57.2 % in 605 cows treated with GnRH, while the performance was 49.7 % in 589 cows of the placebo group. The difference of pregnancy rates in both groups was significant (P<0.05). GnRH injected at insemination was effective, especially in cows at the first and third lactations, cows at 101 days postpartum or later, cows with daily milk yield of 26-30 kg, and also in cows from the area where a regional average fertility was relatively low.     

Effect of Phleomycin on Polyoma Virus Synthesis in Mouse Embryo Cells

The addition of phleomycin (25 mug) to primary mouse embryo cells infected with polyoma virus was found to cause 96% inhibition of the synthesis of infectious virus. When ribonucleic acid and protein synthesis was investigated in these cells by use of isotope incorporation, it was found that neither was inhibited drastically. Immunofluorescent staining studies with the use of antibody directed to the viral structural proteins showed that proteins were synthesized in the presence of the antibiotic. However, when deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) synthesis was investigated, it was found that DNA synthesis in uninfected cells was completely inhibited within the initial 10 hr of phleomycin addition, whereas DNA synthesis in infected cells proceeded at a reduced rate. Selective DNA extraction (Hirt method) of phleomycin-treated infected cells demonstrated that synthesized viral DNA was salt-extractable, similar to that in infected control cells lacking phleomycin. This extracted DNA was further fractionated by ethidium bromide-cesium chloride density gradient equilibrium centrifugation. The phleomycin-treated preparations revealed twice as much component II (circular nicked and linear) as component I (supercoiled) DNA, whereas the DNA from normally infected control cells showed the reverse picture. It was also demonstrated that viral particles synthesized in the presence of phleomycin did not contain component I DNA. This packaged DNA was found to consist of fragments of both the host and viral types. Cells that were prelabeled with (3)H-thymidine and then treated with phleomycin demonstrated host DNA degradation. However, fragments formed from prelabeled host DNA were not encapsidated into viral particles.     

Separation of the Polypeptides of Chlamydia and Its Cell Walls by Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis

The polypeptide composition of Chlamydia was examined by acrylamide gel electrophoresis. When the polypeptide patterns of purified infectious elementary bodies (EB) of C. psittaci meningopneumonitis strain, 6BC strain, and C. trachomatis T'ang strain were compared, no significant differences were observed. The polypeptide patterns of whole EB and reticulate bodies (RB) appeared to overlap, but differences were found. In EB cell walls, nine main and several minor bands of polypeptides were observed in gels containing sodium lauryl sulfate, and the eighth main band from the top of the gel stained positive with periodic acid-Schiff reagent. On the other hand, the polypeptides in bands 3, 6, and 8 in EB cell walls were missing or minor in RB cell walls, and the ninth band was clearly stained by PAS. Band 8 was also stained slightly. Purified subunits, which occur as a lattice structure on the inside layer of EB cell walls but are largely missing in RB cell walls, contained bands 4, 6, and 8, and band 8 was PAS positive. These results indicate that significant polypeptide synthesis or reorganization in the cell walls occurs during the growth cycle.     

Selective inhibition by lasalocid of hydrolysis of the ADP-insensitive phosphoenzyme in the catalytic cycle of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2(+)-ATPase

The effect of a carboxylic ionophore (lasalocid) on the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2(+)-ATPase was investigated. The purified enzyme was preincubated with lasalocid in the presence of Ca2+ and the absence of K+ at pH 7.0 and 0 degrees C for 2 h. The Ca2(+)-dependent ATPase activity was strongly inhibited by this preincubation, whereas the activity of the contaminant Mg2(+)-ATPase was unaffected. The steady-state level of the phosphoenzyme (EP) intermediate remained constant over the wide range of lasalocid concentrations. The Ca2(+)-induced enzyme activation was unaffected. The kinetics of phosphorylation of the Ca2(+)-activated enzyme by ATP as well as the rate of conversion of ADP-sensitive EP to ADP-insensitive EP were also unaffected. Accumulation of ADP-insensitive EP was greatly enhanced, and almost all of the EP accumulating at steady state was ADP-insensitive. Hydrolysis of ADP-insensitive EP was strongly inhibited. A similar strong inhibition of the Ca2(+)-dependent ATPase activity by lasalocid was found with sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles. To examine the effect of lasalocid on the conformational change in each reaction step, the Ca2(+)-ATPase of sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles was labeled with a fluorescent probe (N-iodoacetyl-N'-(5-sulfo-1-naphthyl)ethylenediamine) without a loss of catalytic activity and then preincubated with lasalocid as described above. The conformational changes involved in hydrolysis of ADP-insensitive EP and in the reversal of this hydrolysis were appreciably retarded by lasalocid. The conformational changes involved in other reaction steps were unaffected. These results demonstrate that hydrolysis of ADP-insensitive EP in the catalytic cycle of this enzyme is selectively inhibited by lasalocid.     

Cytotoxic T lymphocyte triggering via CD16 is regulated by CD3 and CD8 antigens. Studies with T cell receptor (TCR)-alpha beta+/CD3+16+ and TCR-gamma delta+/CD3+16+ granular lymphocytes

The role of CD3 and CD8 Ag in CD16-mediated CTL triggering was studied in TCR-alpha beta+ and TCR-gamma delta+ granular lymphocytes (GL). In TCR-alpha beta+/CD3+4-8+16+ GL obtained from patients with GL-proliferative disorders, antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity was inhibited by anti-CD3 and anti-CD8 mAb. Anti-CD3 mAb also inhibited antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity activity of TCR-gamma delta+/CD3+4-8-16+ GL from a patient and that of TCR-gamma delta+/CD3+4-8+/-16+ T cell clones established from patients with proliferating TCR-gamma delta+ GL. In TCR-gamma delta+ T cell clones, cytotoxicity against Fc gamma R+ targets was induced by stimulation of CD16 Ag with anti-CD16 mAb, and such cytotoxicity was also inhibited by anti-CD3 mAb. These results indicate that CD3 and CD8 molecules play a regulatory role in CD16-mediated CTL triggering.     

Synthesis and biological activity of (22E,25R)- and (22,25S)-22-dehydro- 1 alpha,25-dihydroxy-26-methylvitamin D3

Both 25-epimers of (22E)-22-dehydro-1 alpha,25-dihydroxy-26-methylvitamin D3 [22-dehydro-26-methyl-1,25-(OH)2D3] were synthesized. The biological activity of these compounds was tested in binding affinity to chick intestinal receptor protein of 1 alpha,25-dihydroxy-vitamin D3 [1,25-(OH)2D3] and in stimulating for intestinal calcium transport and bone calcium mobilization with vitamin D-deficient rats. The relative potency of (25R)- and (25S)-22-dehydro-26-homo-1,25-(OH)2D3 and 1,25-(OH)2D3 in competing for the intestinal cytosolic binding was 1.7:1.5:1. A similar order of activity was observed on intestinal calcium transport and bone calcium mobilization. In the ability for stimulation of intestinal calcium transport, (25R)- and (25S)-22-dehydro-26-methyl-1,25-(OH)2D3 were about 3.6 and 2.1 times as active as 1,25-(OH)2D3, respectively. In bone calcium mobilization tests, (25R)- and (25S)-22-dehydro-26-methyl-1,25-(OH)2D3 were estimated to be 2.2 and 1.6 times as potent as 1,25-(OH)2D3, respectively.     

Measurement of the cytosolic free calcium ion concentration of individual lymphocytes by microfluorometry using quin 2 or fura-2

The cytosolic free calcium ion concentration ([Ca2+]i) of individual lymphocytes was measured by microfluorometry with dual excitation wavelengths using quin 2 for fura-2. Fura-2 was a more suitable fluorescent Ca2+ indicator than quin 2 for measurements of single cells because of the standard curve calibrated for fura-2 had a good linearity, and the standard deviation (SD) of the value of the intensity ratio of fura-2-loaded cells was much smaller than that of quin 2-loaded cells. The [Ca2+]i in quiescent lymphocytes was about 1 x 10(-7) M, and an increase in the [Ca2+]i was observed within a few minutes of ionomycin, protein A, phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) or concanavalin A (Con A) stimulation. Ionomycin-induced proliferation occurred when the initial [Ca2+]i was approximately 3 x 10(-7) M or greater. The increase in the [Ca2+]i induced by Con A occurred transiently, and another rise in the [Ca2+]i was observed in the stage prior to the S-phase. These results indicate that Ca2+ is necessary for stimulated lymphocytes to enter the cell cycle and S-phase.     

3(20)alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity of monkey liver indanol dehydrogenase

Homogeneous indanol dehydrogenase from monkey liver catalyzed the reversible conversion of 3 alpha- or 20 alpha-hydroxy groups of several bile acids and 5 beta-pregnanes to the corresponding 3- or 20-ketosteroids. The kcat values for the steroids determined at pH 7.4 were low, but the kcat/Km values for the 3-ketosteroids were comparable to or exceeded those for 1-indanol and xenobiotic carbonyl substrates. The enzyme transferred the 4-pro-R-hydrogen atom of NADPH to the 3 beta- or 20 beta-face of the ketosteroid substrate. Competitive inhibition of the hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity of the enzyme by medroxyprogesterone acetate, hexestrol, and 1,10-phenanthroline suggests that both 1-indanol and hydroxysteroid are oxidized at the same active site on the enzyme. The specific inhibitor of the enzyme, 1,10-phenanthroline, suppressed the 3 alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity in the crude extract of monkey liver by 50%. The results strongly suggest that indanol dehydrogenase acts as a 3(20)alpha-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase in the metabolism of certain steroid hormones and bile acids.