Alpha-fetoprotein monoclonal assay: preliminary clinical findings in a high risk population

A two-site solid phase immunoradiometric assay was developed for measurement of human alpha-fetoprotein, utilizing two high-affinity monoclonal antibodies directed against distinct and separate epitopes on the proteic structure. The analytical sensitivity of the assay is 0.5 ng/ml. The clinical sensitivity was evaluated by comparison of patients with cirrhosis and patients with hepatocellular carcinoma with cirrhosis. This assay gave good diagnostic discrimination. In a preliminary clinical trial, the specificity of the assay was 92.3%, the clinical sensitivity 88.2%, and predictive values were 78.9% in the clinically positive stage and 96.0% in the negative stage. The diagnostic efficacy of the assay was 91.3%.     

Effect of a single dose of some long-acting neuroleptics on the estrus cycle and the mammary gland of the rat]

The effects of two neuroleptics (pipotiazine and fluphenazine) and five long-acting neuroleptics (pipotiazine undecylenate and palmitate, fluphenazine enanthate and decanoate, fluopentixol decanoate) are tested in the rat, during an observation period of 20 to 40 days following only one injection of compound. The compounds administered at three different and non toxic doses, are showing effects, the intensity and duration of which are different according to the dose and the compound: diestrus of pseudo-gestation or more than 15 days, hypertrophy of mammary gland, decreasing of the uterine weight. Some long-acting neuroleptics are active during more than forty days.     

Staining of gastrin cells with lead-Haematoxylin.

Fixation of fragments of human antral mucosa with Helly's fluid allows gastrin-containing cells to be identified by an immunofluorescence technique. Lead-Haematoxylin staining carried out on the same sections shows selective reactivity of the immunofluorescent cells. These findings support the identification of gastrin cells with G cells, known from previous studies to react with lead-Haematoxylin.     

Prolein polymorphism in a randombred chicken population

Polymorphism in plasma amylase, plasma alkaline phosphatase, non-specific esterase and red cell esterase-D of the Athens-Canadian randombred (ACRB) population of chickens was determined by polyacrylamide and starch gel electrophoresis. Amylase alleles Amy-1^A and Amy-1^B were segregating in the ACRB population with frequencies of 0.45 and 0.55 respectively. For the plasma alkaline phosphatase the F and S bands, the B band and a new isozyme migrating at a faster rate than the previously reported F band were detected. A genetic nomenclature for plasma alkaline phosphatase is suggested which considers the difference between the F and S bands as the presence or absence of sialic acid attached to a primary protein.
Plasma esterase activity was observed in all four of the regions previously reported, but there was no polymorphism found in any of the loci. All birds in this population showed the same red-cell esterase-D phenotype which consisted of a main band with sub-bands on each side.     

Detection of amino acids in artificial nectars by two tropical ants,Leptothorax and Monomorium

Summary Many ants forage at extrafloral nectar on plants and provide the plant with some measure of protection from herbivory. These nectars contain sugars, amino acids and, often, other compounds. The role of amino acids in attracting ants to extrafloral nectars was studied by baiting with Karo-syrup-based solutions. Control (without amino acids) and experimental (with amino acids) solutions were placed in second growth forest in Trinidad, W.I. The number of ants visiting the solutions was counted at fiveminute intervals for 45 min. In tests of solutions with only one amino acid, both Leptothorax sp. and Monomorium sp. visited solutions with alanine, arginine, serine, cysteine, methionine or aspartic acid more frequently than sugaronly controls. Monomorium preferred control solutions to tyrosine solutions; Leptothorax preferred control solutions to histidine solutions. Leptothorax did not discriminate between control and tyrosine solutions; Monomorium did not discriminate between control and histidine solutions. However, in six of eight tests of combinations of amino acids, ants visited control solutions more frequently than experimental solutions. These results suggest that ants can act as selective agents, favoring plants with particular amino acids in their nectars.     

Global distribution of IRC7 alleles in Saccharomyces cerevisiae populations: a genomic and phenotypic survey within the wine clade

The adaptation to the different biotic and abiotic factors of wine fermentation has led to the accumulation of numerous genomic hallmarks in Saccharomyces cerevisiae wine strains. IRC7, a gene encoding a cysteine-S-β-lyase enzyme related volatile thiols production in wines, has two alleles: a full-length allele (IRC7^F) and a mutated one (IRC7^S), harbouring a 38 bp-deletion. Interestingly, IRC7^S-encoding a less active enzyme – appears widespread amongst wine populations. Studying the global distribution of the IRC7^S allele in different yeast lineages, we confirmed its high prevalence in the Wine clade and demonstrated a minority presence in other domesticated clades (Wine-PDM, Beer and Bread) while it is completely missing in wild clades. Here, we show that IRC7^S-homozygous (HS) strains exhibited both fitness and competitive advantages compared with IRC7^F-homozygous (HF) strains. There are some pieces of evidence of the direct contribution of the IRC7^S allele to the outstanding behaviour of HS strains (i.e., improved response to oxidative stress conditions and higher tolerance to high copper levels); however, we also identified a set of sequence variants with significant co-occurrence patterns with the IRC7^S allele, which can be co-contributing to the fitness and competitive advantages of HS strains in wine fermentations.     

Methylarginine metabolites are associated with attenuated muscle protein synthesis in cancer-associated muscle wasting

Cancer cachexia is characterized by reductions in peripheral lean muscle mass. Prior studies have primarily focused on increased protein breakdown as the driver of cancer-associated muscle wasting. Therapeutic interventions targeting catabolic pathways have, however, largely failed to preserve muscle mass in cachexia, suggesting that other mechanisms might be involved. In pursuit of novel pathways, we used untargeted metabolomics to search for metabolite signatures that may be linked with muscle atrophy. We injected 7-week–old C57/BL6 mice with LLC1 tumor cells or vehicle. After 21 days, tumor-bearing mice exhibited reduced body and muscle mass and impaired grip strength compared with controls, which was accompanied by lower synthesis rates of mixed muscle protein and the myofibrillar and sarcoplasmic muscle fractions. Reductions in protein synthesis were accompanied by mitochondrial enlargement and reduced coupling efficiency in tumor-bearing mice. To generate mechanistic insights into impaired protein synthesis, we performed untargeted metabolomic analyses of plasma and muscle and found increased concentrations of two methylarginines, asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) and N^G-monomethyl-l-arginine, in tumor-bearing mice compared with control mice. Compared with healthy controls, human cancer patients were also found to have higher levels of ADMA in the skeletal muscle. Treatment of C2C12 myotubes with ADMA impaired protein synthesis and reduced mitochondrial protein quality. These results suggest that increased levels of ADMA and mitochondrial changes may contribute to impaired muscle protein synthesis in cancer cachexia and could point to novel therapeutic targets by which to mitigate cancer cachexia.