Termination of early pregnancy by ONO-802 suppositories (16,16-dimethyl-trans-Δ-PGE1 methyl ester)

ONO-802 was used in the form of vaginal suppositories for the termination of early pregnancy in 63 healthy volunteers. Fifty-four (86%) of the 63 cases had complete abortions and remaining 9 (14%) had incomplete abortions.One (1.6%) of the 63 cases complained of nausea and vomiting, and 3 (4.8%) complained of headaches. No other side effects were observed.These results suggest that ONO-802 is acceptable in the form of vaginal suppositories for the termination of early pregnancy.     

Transbilayer distribution and movement of lysophosphatidylcholine in liposomal membranes

Single bilayer vesicles were prepared by sonication of 5 mol% 1-palmitoyl lysophosphatidylcholine and 95 mol% egg phosphatidylcholine. Incubation with lysophospholipase results in a fast hydrolysis of 80–90% of lysophosphatidylcholine. The remaining lysophosphatidylcholine is only very slowly hydrolysed. There results are interpreted as lysophosphatidylcholine being asymmetrically distributed over the two halves of the bilayer. The slow phase of lysophosphatidylcholine hydrolysis sets an upper limit to the rate of transbilayer movement of lysophosphatidylcholine. The half time of this process at 37° C is estimated to be about 100 h. Incorporation of cholesterol in the vesicles reduces the distributional asymmetry of lysophosphatidylcholine to the extent of an outside-inside ratio of 60 : 40. [¹⁴C]Lysophosphatidylcholine introduced into the outer monolayer of such vesicles by intervesicular transfer of lysophosphatidylcholine remains virtually completely available for hydrolysis by lysophospholipases, corroborating the interpretation that transbilayer movement of lysophosphatidylcholine in these vesicles is an extremely slow process.In handshaken liposomes consisting of 5 mol% 1-palmitoyl lysophosphatidylcholine and 95 mol% egg phosphatidylcholine 15–20% of lysophosphatidylcholine is readily available for exogenous lysophospholipase. This pool may represent lysophosphatidylcholine in the outer monolayer of the liposomes.     

Stereoselective action of acylated crude papain toward mandelic and atrolactic hydrazides

Acylated crude papain has been shown to exert stereoselective behavior toward racemic hydrazides devoid of an amino acid residue, namely, (RS)-mandelic and (RS)-atrolactic hydrazides. These hydrazides functioned as nucleophiles to yield N¹,N²-diacylhydrazines. Several achiral acylating agents for the enzyme were chosen, including Z-glycine, BOC-glycine, AOC-glycine, and hippuric acid. With the exception of hippuric acid as the acylating agent, the reaction product, in every instance for these achiral hydrazides, consisted of an excess of the (+)-N¹,N²-diacylhydrazine. The relative rates of product formation for the mandelic hydrazides were considerably greater than for corresponding reactions with racemic atrolactic hydrazide. When chiral Z-l-alanine was employed to acylate crude papain, the stereoselective action was most pronounced, with the formation of a mixture of diastereoisomers consisting of 73% N¹-(Z-l-alanyl)-N²-[(R)-mandelyl]hydrazine. The relative reactivities for the electrophiles was Z-l-alanine ? Z-glycine ? hippuric acid ? AOC-glycine > BOC-glycine. The hydrazides of (R)-, (S)-mandelic, and (RS)-atrolactic acids were prepared by conversion of the corresponding acids to their esters by means of a catalytic dehydrating agent and subsequent treatment with a methanolic solution of hydrazine.     

Hydrazides of N-blocked amino acids as sole substrates with unique difunctional behavior under papain catalysis

Hydrazides of five N-acylamino acids have been used alone as substrates for papain catalysis to yield N¹,N²-diacylhydrazines. With the exception of N-(benzyloxycarbonyl)(Z)- -alanine hydrazide, they were very effective as both acylating agents of the enzyme and nucleophiles in attacking the enzyme-substrate intermediate. Although Z- -alanine hydrazide was a minimal acylating agent, it was a satisfactory nucleophile. The most favorable reaction involved Z- -alanine hydrazide in producing N¹,N²-bis(Z- -alanyl)hydrazine. When Z- -alanine hydrazide was the substrate, this same chiral diacylhydrazine was formed along with meso N¹-(Z- -alanyl)-N²-(Z- -alanyl)hydrazine. For the acylation step, the enzyme displayed powerful, essentially stereospecific, bias toward the enantiomer. Once the thioester intermediate was formed, little preference was detected for attack by the enantiomers as nucleophiles. The most direct procedure for synthesis of substrates was conversion of Z-amino acids to their esters by means of dry HCl in an absolute alcohol. Treatment with hydrazine produced the hydrazides in excellent yield.     

Effect of storage conditions on function of granulocytes

The effect of collection technique, anticoagulant, pH, glucose, and temperature on in vitro granulocyte function were studied after 24 hr of storage in the liquid state. Collection by CL did not adversely affect granulocyte function, however, cells collected by FL had accelerated loss of bactericidal activity and chemotactic response. Citrate anticoagulants provided better maintenance of bacteridical activity, NBT reduction, and chemotactic response than heparin, EDTA, and ion-exchange anticoagulants. Chemiluminescence was well maintained when the initial pH of the preservative solution (CPD plasma) was between 6.5 and 8.0 but maintenance of chemotaxis required pH of 7.0–7.5. Glucose concentrations of 80–1000 mg/dl provided adequate maintenance of chemiluminescence and chemotaxis. Bacterial killing was well maintained by storage at either 1–6 or 20–24 °C. Storage at 1–6 °C caused decreased chemotaxis, decreased ability of granulocytes to adhere and spread on a foreign surface, and a decreased intravascular recovery and shortened half-life after transfusion. Although short-term liquid storage may be practical, at present, granulocytes should be transfused as soon as possible after collection.     

Effects of intercropping with Spergula arvensis on pests of Brussels sprouts

Intercropping as a method to reduce crop losses is an old technique, especially in the tropics. During 1977 and 1978 intercropping experiments of Brussels sprouts with Spergula arvensis showed a significant pest reducing effect. Mamestra brassicae and Evergestis forficalis populations showed a strong reduction, whereas Pieris rapae did not seem to respond to intercropping. Late cabbage root fly infestation of the sprout buttons was reduced drastically. Brevicoryne brassicae incidence was decreased in dense intercropping plots only. Injury due to caterpillar feeding showed a grading response to intercropping density, as did the total caterpillar populations. Log dose-effect regression lines allow a comparison of various intercropping densities with other control methods on insect pest population reducing potential.

---

Zusammenfassung Durch Untersaaten können Ertragsverluste an Kulturpflanzen reduziert werden. Das ist ein altes, bewährtes Verfahren, besonders in den Tropen. Die Einsaat von Spergula arvensis in Rosenkohlbeständen führte in 2-jährigen Untersuchungen zur signifikanten Verringerung des Schädlingsbefalls. Während die Populationen von Mamestra brassicae und Evergestis forficalis stark zurückgingen, blieb die von Pieris rapae unbeeinflusst. Eine Abnahme von Brevicoryne brassicae konnte nur in Parzellen mit hohen Spergula-Dichten festgestellt werden. Die Abundanz der Raupen sowie die Beschädigungsintensität durch diese, zeigten eine Abhängigkeit von der Untersaatdichte. Die Regressionsgerade Untersaatdichte zur Effektivität erlaubt einen Vergleich verschiedener Spergula-Dichten mit anderen Methoden, die das Schädlingspotential reduzieren.

     

Studies on plating efficiency and estimation of viability of suspensions of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis yeast cells

Mild sonication was used to obtain single cell suspensions of Paracoccidioides brasiliensis. These cells were intact by microscopic criteria. Direct cell counts in a given inoculum and colony formation on various media were used to determine plating efficiency. Sonicated and nonsonicated cell suspensions were used to study plating efficiency and to estimate viability by means of vital dyes. Methylene blue, Erythrosin B, and Janus green were unreliable when used with P. brasiliensis, but vital dyes were accurate when tested with Candida albicans.Acridine orange gave more meaningful results of viability. Estimates of viability, however, changed significantly as a result of relatively minor alterations in the composition of the suspending medium.In initial experiments, the plating efficiency of P. brasiliensis was dismally low. It descended abruptly with increasing dilution of inoculum. Efficiency was much improved if horse serum was added to brain heart infusion plates or if glucose glycine yeast extract (GGY) plates were incubated at room temperature and mycelial colonies were counted. With the technique we report, current plating efficiency of sonicated suspensions is of the order of 25 %. Our results and procedures have an important bearing upon those studies concerned with in vitro killing of P. brasiliensis in suspensions or with isolating this fungus from clinical or environmental specimens.     

Functional relationship between bacteriophages G4 and phi X174.

Mutants of bacteriophage G4 were isolated and characterized, and their mutations were mapped. They constitute six different genes, namely, A, B, E, F, G, and H. The functional relationship with bacteriophage phi X174 was determined by complementation experiments using amber mutants of phi X and amber mutants of G4. Bacteriophage phi X was able to use the products of G4 genes E, F, G, and H. In bacteriophage G4, however, only the phi X gene H product was functional.     

Procedures for the production and separation of H and M antigens in histoplasmin: Chemical and serological properties of the isolated products

Two strains of Histoplasma capsulatum were required to prepare maximum yields of H and of M antigen from histoplasmin. The antigens were separated and partially purified by a series of procedures yielding an overall recovery of 70 to 90% of the individual antigens. Stable products suitable for use as reference products were obtained when the final purification step employed DEAE-cellulose with phosphate buffer elution at increasing molarity and decreasing pH. A final step of purification of each antigen with slab acrylamide gel electrophoresis gave products which were highly reactive and specific in a variety of serological tests with sera from persons with proven cases of histoplasmosis and with natural infections of heterologous deep mycoses. These antigens were maximally active at concentrations of 2 to 16 g protein in the complement fixation, capillary precipitin, microimmunodiffusion, or immunoelectrophoresis tests; 0.5 g gave a maximum delayed cutaneous hypersensitivity reaction in homologously infected animals and caused no appreciable reaction in control animals. Although these antigens appeared to be specific when tested with sera from persons with natural infections, the M and H antigens demonstrated the presence of an additional antigen reacting with sera of rabbits immunized with cell membrane and cell particulate fractions of Blastomyces dermatitidis. After purification by electrophoresis, both the H and M antigens of some preparations showed some decomposition and loss of reactivity after storage at 5 C for more than six months. The overall results suggest that the purified H and M antigens of Heiner (12) have multiple serological reactivity and may function in precipitin reactions, complementfixing reactions, hemagglutination of formalin-fixed goose red blood cells, and as antigens for delayed cutaneous tests.     

Partial trisomy 14q due to familial t(14q-, 11q+) translocation

Summary A malformed male newborn with partial trisomy for the distal part of the long arm chromosome 14 (14q₂₃14qter) is described. This anomaly arose as a segregation product of a balanced t(14q-, 11q+), translocation in the father.