Determination of rat brain buffering in vivo by 31P-NMR

Buffering capacity of most tissues is composed of both rapid and slow phases, the latter presumably due to active acid extrusion. To examine the time course of brain buffering the brain pH of Sprague-Dawley rats was measured using 31P-nuclear magnetic resonance. The effect on brain pH of 30- or 58-min exposures to 20% CO2 followed by 30- or 38-min recovery periods, respectively, was studied. Brain pH reached its lowest value after a 15-min exposure to elevated CO2, thereafter slowly and steadily increasing. During recovery brain pH rose rapidly in the first 5 min exceeding control brain pH by 0.08 pH units. Brain pH fell during the next 30 min despite increases in blood pH and decreases in blood CO2 tension. Calculated intrinsic brain buffering rose steadily threefold during the last 40 min of CO2 exposure and during the final 30 min of recovery. These data show that in rat brain there is a temporally late buffering process, most likely active acid extrusion, requiring greater than 30 min for full activation and at least 30 min for discontinuation.     

Relation between glycoprotein synthesis and carbohydrate metabolism in the small intestine mucosa. Effect of cholera enterotoxin

The regulatory properties of adenylate cyclase in small intestinal mucosa were investigated. Glucagon, epinephrine and isoproterenol failed to activate the cAMP synthesis; prostaglandin E1 caused a 2.8-fold, while cholera toxin-a 4.5-fold stimulation. The latter was not able to increase the rate of glucose synthesis from alanine in vitro, but increased markedly the in vivo incorporation of 14C-labeled alanine into the mucus glucosamine. Unlabeled glucosamine excretion was also enhanced 3-fold. This provides evidence for the involvement of glycolysis and gluconeogenesis enzyme systems in the mucosal glycoprotein synthesis. It was assumed that both metabolic pathways may play a common physiological role, namely, to convert carbohydrates and gluconeogenic precursors into the substrate for glucosamine synthesis which is thought to be a rate-limiting step in small intestinal mucus secretion.     

Determination of Staphylococcus species-specific antigens by using erythrocyte reagents

Species-specific (Staphylococcus aureus and S. epidermidis) antigenic and antibody erythrocyte diagnosticums have been prepared. Various tests made with the use of these diagnosticums have demonstrated that the activity of specific antigens is higher in hydrochloric acid extracts than in trichloroacetic and phenolic ones; this activity is linked with undialyzed components and depends on the peculiar features of the strain.     

Effect of the antioxidant dibunol and its combination with phenazepam on the behavior of rats in a conflict situation

The influence of dibunol, phenazepam used alone and combined on rat conflict behavior and rat blood and brain malonic dialdehyde content was studied. It was shown that dibunol exerts an unmarked anticonflict action that can be removed by bicuculline. Combined administration of dibunol and phenazepam potentiates appreciably the anticonflict effect. This permits reducing the doses of the drugs. The anxiolytic effect of dibunol alone and combined with phenazepam is attended by a decrease in the content of malonic dialdehyde in rat blood and brain, evidence of the reduction of the lipid peroxidation intensity.     

Nutritional interaction in an alga-barnacle association

Nitrogen is the major growth-limiting nutrient for marine algae. One potential source of nitrogen for marine algae is ammonium released by invertebrates. Many mid-intertidal reefs in northeastern New Zealand are dominated by a close association between the honeycomb barnacle Chamaesipho columna and an encusting brown alga Pseudolithoderma sp. Growth of Pseudolithoderma was enhanced in the presence of live C. columna, which released ammonium at a greater rate than the maximum rate of ammonium uptake by Pseudolithoderma. Algal tissue on barnacle tests had a lower C:N ratio than tissue located more than 2 cm from the nearest barnacle, suggesting the barnacle is an important source of nitrogen for the alga. The role of nutrient exchange in determining ecological patterns of species in marine communities is discussed.