Neuropeptide Y modulates the action of vasodilator agents in guinea-pig epicardial coronary arteries

Recently, we have demonstrated that guinea-pig epicardial coronary arteries are supplied by numerous nerve fibres containing neuropeptide Y (NPY) immunoreactivity. However, examination of vasomotor responses revealed that NPY did not elicit a contractile response in these arteries. In contrast, acetylcholine (ACh), calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), substance P and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) all relaxed precontracted arteries. In the present study, we have used histochemical, immunohistochemical and in vitro pharmacological techniques, in order to further investigate the possible role of NPY in guinea-pig epicardial coronary arteries. A double-immunofluorescence staining technique revealed that CGRP and substance P were co-localized in nerve fibres distinct from those displaying NPY immunoreactivity. Furthermore, using a method combining immunofluorescence and histochemical techniques, we observed that putative cholinergic nerve fibres (identified by their acetylcholinesterase content) and NPY-immunoreactive nerve fibres are two different nerve populations. An in vitro pharmacological method demonstrated that NPY markedly inhibited the relaxant responses mediated by ACh, VIP, substance P and isoprenaline but had no effect on CGRP. These results suggest that NPY-containing nerves associated with guinea-pig epicardial coronary arteries may be predominantly involved in modulating the action of vasodilator agents.     

Sulfide-Dependent Methane Production and Growth of a Thermophilic Methanogenic Bacterium

Two strains of a thermophilic methanogenic bacterium, designated MT1 a and b, were isolated from a coastal surface sediment in the northern part of the Swedish West Coast. The two strains were identical in appearance and nutritional requirements and resembled Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum. MT1 had an extraordinary requirement for sulfide. At sulfide levels below 0.1 mM, growth was poor and the methane production rate decreased. Other sources of sulfur, such as cysteine, sulfate, or thiosulfate, could not replace sulfide. The results indicate that a fast turnover rate of reduced sulfur compounds is involved in the energy metabolism of this organism.     

Accumulation of Glucosylceramide and Glucosylsphingosine (Psychosine) in Cerebrum and Cerebellum in Infantile and Juvenile Gaucher Disease

Abstract: Three major clinical variants of Gaucher disease have been defined: Type I, chronic nonneuronopathic; Type II, acute neuronopathic; and Type III, subacute neuronopathic. In a search for the underlying molecular basis of the neurological manifestations, the concentration and composition of cholesterol, phospholipids, neutral glycosphingolipids, and gangliosides were examined in cerebral and cerebellar cortices of five cases of Type II, eight cases of Type III, and one case of presumed Type I/III. In Type II the concentration of glucosylceramide was 140-530 μmol/kg in cerebral cortex and 51-450 μmol/kg in cerebellar cortex, the highest values found in the most fulminant cases. These concentrations were 20-80 times greater than normal in cerebral cortex and 5-40 times normal in cerebellar cortex. In Type III the concentration of glucosylceramide was 37-65 and 59-1750 μmol/kg in cerebral and cerebellar cortex, respectively. The highest concentrations were found in the cerebellum of patients who had survived splenectomy for several years. The ceramide composition of the accumulated glucosylceramide suggested that brain gangliosides were the major precursors of the glucosylceramide in brains of Type II but in cerebellar cortex in Type III was partly of extracerebral origin. The levels of lactosylceramide and oligohexaosylceramides were slightly raised in all brain specimens from the Gaucher cases. The ganglioside concentration was normal, whereas there was a certain increase in the proportion of GM2 and GM3 gangliosides. The brain glycosphingolipid changes in the Type I/III case were similar but slightly less than those in Type III cases of corresponding age. Glucosylsphingosine (psychosine), never detected in normal human brain, was demonstrated in brains from all the Gaucher cases. The psychosine concentration was highest in Type II cases, 3.8-8.8 and 3.9-12.3 μmol/kg in cerebral and cerebellar cortex, respectively, with the highest values found in the most fulminant cases. In Type III the psychosine concentration varied more widely, 0.8-4.6 and 1.4-6.3 μmol/kg in cerebral and cerebellar cortex, respectively. The lowest value, 0.7 μmol/kg, was found in the Type I/III case. Our method detected psychosine down to 0.01 μmol/kg, which means that the concentration of psychosine was increased at least 100- to 1000-fold in Gaucher grey matter. We suggest that the accumulation of the cell-toxic substance psychosine is the basis for the extensive neuronal cell loss in Gaucher disease, which is most striking in Type II disease.     

A Comparison of the Polypeptide Pattern Between a Brain Primary Culture and Fractions of Bulk-Isolated Glial Cells

Abstract: This paper reports on the electrophoretic protein/polypeptide pattern of a rat brain primary culture. For comparison, the polypeptide pattern of neuronal and glial enriched fractions from adult rat brain and cerebral hemispheres from newborn and adult rat have been analysed. Water-soluble and SDS-extractable polypeptide fractions appeared and/or increased in amount in the cultures until confluency. The polypeptide pattern of the cultures most resembled that of the glial cell fractions, showing some of this fraction's specificity. Removal of fetal calf serum and addition of 0.1 mM dibutyryl cyclic adenosine monophosphate (dB-cAMP) produced few changes in the electrophoretic pattern. The study thus provides evidence in favour of the astroglial nature of the brain primary culture. It also shows that the cells undergo some maturation in the culture.     

Abiotic formation of particles from extracellular organic carbon released by phytoplankton

¹⁴C-labeled extracellular organic carbon (EOC) released by the phytoplankton in a Danish Estuary was shown immediately to form particles (>0.2m) when the products were added to a natural water sample. About 14%–20% of the added activity could be recovered as particles. Any bacterial assimilation of the extracellular products was thus masked. The abiotic origin of the particulate EOC was verified, and it was shown that the particle formation was due to some factors present in the estuarine water with a nominal diameter >0.2m. Precaution must be taken to avoid misinterpretations in studies concerning carbon flow from algae to bacteria.     

Role of H-2 antigens in the host response to methylcholanthrene-induced tumors

H-2 loss variant sublines of a sarcoma (M-AS), induced by methylcholanthrene in an (A × A.SW)F₁ mouse, were used to study the role of the MHC products in the recognition of MC-TSTA. The two reciprocal variant sublines (M-A and M-S) were found to express the TSTA of the original tumor as shown by cross-reactions in graft rejection experiments performed in (A × A.SW)F₁ mice. In the A/Sn and A.SW mice the presence of the reciprocal parental H-2 antigens on the immunizing cells decreased the response against the tumor antigens. An admixture of lymphocytes derived from hyperimmune mice inhibited the outgrowth of the tumor cells. The growth inhibition was mediated by T cells and was H-2 restricted. Cells derived from hyperimmune syngeneic mice inhibited the outgrowth of the variant subline used for immunization but had no effect on the reciprocal variant subline.     

Control of activity states of heart mitochondrial ATPase. Role of the proton-motive force and Ca2+

The ATPase complex of submitochondrial particles exhibits activity transitions that are controlled by the natural ATPase inhibitor (Gómez-Puyou, A., Tuena de Gómez-Puyou, M. and Ernster, L. (1979) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 547, 252–257). The ATPase of intact heart mitochondria also shows reversible activity transitions; the activation reaction is induced by the establishment of electrochemical gradients, whilst the inactivation reaction is driven by collapse of the gradient. In addition it has been observed that the influx of Ca²⁺ into the mitochondria induces a rapid inactivation of the ATPase; this could be due to the transient collapse of the membrane potential in addition to a favorable effect of Ca²⁺-ATP on the association of the ATPase inhibitor peptide to F₁-ATPase. This action of Ca²⁺ may explain why mitochondria utilize respiratory energy for the transport of Ca²⁺ in preference to phosphorylation. It is concluded that the mitochondrial ATPase inhibitor protein may exert a fundamental regulatory function in the utilization of electrochemical gradients.     

Role of Heme in Synthesis and Membrane Binding of Succinic Dehydrogenase in Bacillus subtilis

A 5-aminolevulinic acid-requiring mutant of Bacillus subtilis was isolated. When the mutant is shifted from medium containing 5-aminolevulinic acid to medium lacking this growth factor, the bacteria continued to grow at undiminished rate for about three generations. The membranes from these bacteria contained severely reduced amounts of cytochrome. The mutant was used to study the role of heme synthesis on synthesis and membrane binding of succinic dehydrogenase (SDH). The amount of SDH in whole-cell lysates in the soluble cytoplasmic fraction and in membranes was determined by one-dimensional (rocket) immunoelectrophoresis with an SDH-specific antiserum. After heme synthesis was blocked, the relative amount of SDH in the membrane decreased, whereas increasing amounts of SDH antigen were found in the cytoplasm. When heme synthesis was resumed on readdition of 5-aminolevulinic acid, the amount of membrane-bound SDH antigen increased at a much faster rate than net synthesis. During a 3-h growth period without 5-aminolevulinic acid, there was little change in the pattern of membrane proteins as determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of radioactively labeled membranes, as compared to membranes from control cultures. However, both the 65,000-dalton and the 28,000-dalton polypeptides of the SDH complex (L. Hederstedt, E. Holmgren, and L. Rutberg, J. Bacteriol. 138:370-376, 1979) were present in decreasing amounts in membranes from 5-aminolevulinic acid-starved bacteria. From these results we suggest that SDH in B. subtilis is synthesized as a soluble protein and becomes membrane bound only when it attaches to a site in the membrane, (part of) which is a cytochrome of b type.