N-methylcytisine--a selective ligand of nicotinic receptors of acetylcholine in the CNS

The ability of cytisine and its N-methyl derivatives to bind to nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR) from different tissues was studied. Cytisine and N-methylcytisine have high affinity (KD = 50 nM) to nAChR from squid optical ganglia. N,N-dimethylcytisine did not show high affinity to this receptor. In the case of nAChR from T. marmorata, cytisine was the only effective inhibitor of 14C-tubocurarine specific binding (Ki = 700 nM). N-methyl- and N,N-dimethylcytisine did not displace 14C-tubocurarine at a concentration of 0.1 mM. The results obtained indicate that there are some differences in the structure of nAChR binding sites from squid and T. marmorata optical ganglia.     

Conformations of blood group H-active oligosaccharides of ovarian cyst mucins

Spectroscopic data and conformational energy calculations are reported for eight oligosaccharides from ovarian cyst mucins and from human milk, the nonreducing terminals of which have fucose (α1 → 2)galactose linked either (β1 → 3) (type I) or (β1 → 4)(type II) to N-acetylglucosamine or in (β1 → 3) linkage to galactosaminitol. The fully assigned proton nmr spectra are reported along with nuclear Overhauser enhancement (NOE) data. Amide proton coupling constants and vacuum-uv CD spectra provide information on the amide plane orientation and amide environment. Our results imply that the fucosidic dihedral angles are similar for all three cases and that the substantial differences in the chemical shifts of the fucosyl protons of type I, type II, and 3-ol chains result from different perturbations by the amide group of the residue to which the β-galactose is linked. Stereopair diagrams of conformational models for both type I and II H chains are presented that are consistent with NOE, coupling constants, conformational energy calculations, and the CD data. While the temperature dependence of the observed NOE of penta- and hexasaccharides indicates that their rotational correlation times are strongly temperature dependent, we conclude that the conformations are essentially independent of temperature.     

Nuclear magnetic resonance investigation of erythrocyte membranes in chronic myeloproliferative disorders

The temperature dependence of the apparent water diffusional exchange through erythrocyte membranes in cases of policitemia vera, chronic granulocytic leukemia and primary myelofibrosis was measured by using a nuclear magnetic resonance method in the presence of Mn2+. The thermal transition shifted to lower temperatures in all cases, regardless of the stage of the disease, suggesting a structural alteration of the membrane. The shift of transition indirectly suggests a lower penetration of the erythrocytes by Mn2+. The water exchange time at 37 degrees C also increased, mainly in the blast crisis; it seems to have a prognostic value of some clinical interest. No simple correlation of the water exchange and the following clinical investigations was observed: the white count, the percentage of promyelocites and myeloblasts, the sedimentation rate of blood, the osmotic fragility of erythrocytes, the total concentration of proteins, albumin and immunoglobulins, respectively, in plasma.     

Immunoenzyme determination of neurospecific antigen 10-40-4 in human and animal tissue and organ extracts

IEA of brain specific antigen 10-40-4 in human and animal organs and tissues was elaborated. The method permits measuring the concentration of the antigen within the range from 1 to 120 ng/ml. The use of the method made it possible to confirm brain specificity of protein 10-40-4, since its brain content is 1500 to 2000 times higher than in other organs, and to estimate the percentage of cross-reaction between antigenic determinants of brain specific antigen 10-40-4 from different species of animals.     

Tendencies in the epidemic process of dysentery in Ryazan

In shigellosis caused by Sh. sonnei and Sh. flexneri the epidemic process was found to have considerable difference in the tendencies and pace of its development. Shigellosis which dominated in the etiological structure at the period following 1966 was dysentery caused by Sh. sonnei; it showed the tendency towards a decrease in morbidity rate. Dysentery caused by Sh. flexneri was second in respect to the frequency of its occurrence after 1966 and showed the tendency towards increase. The simultaneous circulation of Sh. sonnei and Sh. flexneri, the differences in the epidemiology of these types of shigellosis make it imperative that they be studied separately, taking into ccount their etiological selectivity to the main routes of transmitting the infection.     

Responses of receptive fields of frog retinal ganglion cells to the leading and trailing edges of moving stimuli

The position of on- and off-discharge centers in class 1 and 3 receptive fields of the frog retina was determined with the aid of moving bars of different lengths. On- and off-centers of receptive fields of the first group coincide, those of the second are spatially separate, and in fields of the 3rd group the discharge center of one contrast sign occupies the central position and discharge centers of the opposite sign are located at the periphery, to its right and left. Receptive fields of the frog retina thus have features which approximate them to the concentric receptive fields of geniculate neurons and the fields of the cat visual cortex. Asymmetry in the responses was found: during movement in opposite directions the distance between the discharge centers changed, during movement to one side only one of the peripheral centers was revealed, whereas during movement to the other side the second center was revealed on the opposite side of the receptive field. This asymmetry of spatiotemporal relations in the receptive fields is similar to that found in the fields of cortical neurons and is connected with their directional properties.Research Institute of Applied Mathematics and Cybernetics, N. I. Lobachevskii State University, Gor'kii. Translated from Neirofiziologiya, Vol. 12, No. 1, pp. 75–85, January–February, 1980.     

Cell-Cell Interactions and Distal Outgrowth in Amphibian Limbs

SYNOPSIS. A current model concerning the process of limb regenerationin vertebrates is examined. According to this model (Bryantet al, 1981), new positional values in the proximal-distal limbaxis are laid down as a result of local interactions betweencells in the limb circumference. Cells with disparate circumferentialpositional values come together at the site of future outgrowthand intercalation between them generates more distal levelsof the pattern. The results of a number of experiments on surgicallycreated symmetrical limb stumps are discussed in relation tothis model. In addition, an extension of this model to accountfor digit formation is presented, and the implications of thisformulation for limb evolution are discussed.