Uric acid as an inhibitor of cyclophosphamide-induced micronuclei in mice

Swiss albino male mice, 6-8 weeks old, were treated orally with different doses of uric acid dissolved in water for 7 days. Some of the mice in each group were injected i.p. with cyclophosphamide (25 mg/kg) and killed after 30 h. The blood of all animals was analyzed for uric acid levels. The femoral cells of the mice in different groups were collected and studied. Uric acid was found to be devoid of mitodepressant or clastogenic activity at 10-100 mg/kg/day. Pretreatment with uric acid was found to provide significant protection against cyclophosphamide-induced bone marrow depression and micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes.     

Mechanism of differential susceptibility of two rice varieties to zinc deficiency

Summary The mechanism of differential susceptibility of two rice (Oryza sativa L.) varieties to Zn deficiency was explored in 20 field trials. IR-6 rice suffered with Zn deficiency much more severely than Basmati-370. Higher Fe absorption seems to be mainly responsible. It achieved this effect by strongly inhibiting Zn absorption and by markedly increasing internal Zn requirement as IR-6 plants.No. IV in the series Micronutrient availability to cereals from calcareous soils.     

A Study on the Macro-Zoobenthos and the Physico-chemical Characteristics of the Bottom of Bakhira Lake,Uttar Pradesh,India

Bakhira Lake is the largest man-made lake of Eastern Uttar Pradesh. It is utilized for Boro (coarse paddy) cultivation, irrigation and fishing by poor village farmers. Hydrographical features, qualitative and quantitative composition of the macro-zoobenthos, and the physico-chemical characteristics of the bottom water and sediment were studied from October 1976 to April 1977. Molluscs, insects, ostracods, annelids, nematodes and crustaceans are the main groups of zoobenthos. Molluscs together with insects dominate the benthic fauna (95.2 to 96.4% of numbers). The benthic density varied from 273 to 517 individuals/m². Average density of macro-zoobenthos is more or less inversely related to the total alkalinity of the bottom water. Molluscs showed a positive correlation to temperature and a negative correlation to insect density.     

Does the timing of breast cancer surgery in pre-menopausal women affect clinical outcome? : an update

There is some evidence that breast cancer surgery during the luteal phase in pre-menopausal women is associated with a better clinical outcome, however the evidence for this is still equivocal.In this paper, after summarizing the normal physiology of the menstrual cycle, we examine how such an association may occur and provide a comprehensive review of the literature in the area.     

Agrotis segetum granulosis virus as a control agent against field populations ofAgrotis ipsilon andA. Segetum [Lep.: Noctuidae] on tobacco,okra, potato and sugar beet in northern pakistan

Agrotis segetum Schiff granulosis virus (AsGV) propagated in Denmark was supplied against naturally occurring cutworm populations (A. ipsilon and to a less extentA. segetum) in experimental field plots of tobacco, okra, potato and sugar beet in northern Pakistan. AsGV doses varied between 4 × 10⁷ and 4 × 10¹¹ capsules per m² plot, and no. of applications between 1 and 3. One treatment with AsGV did not reduce cutworm damage significantly to tobacco seedlings and potato plants. Two treatments with AsGV reduced cutworm damage significantly. In tobacco, reduction was 64–82%, in okra and potato 85% and 77% respectively. Damage in sugar beet was reduced 78%. Three treatments with AsGV dis not reduce damage significantly better than two treatments. AsGV and the chemical insecticides Tamaran and Dieldrin, andBacillus thuringiensis (Thuricide) were about equally effective, reducing damage by 85%, 79%, 87% and 69%, respectively. No difference was found between the efficiency of highly purified AsGV to which activated charcoal was added and partially purified AsGV without charcoal.      

Chemical Changes Associated with the Breaking of the Rest Period in Vegetative Buds of Pyrus communis

Buds of heat and cold treated shoots were examined for their soluble and insoluble nitrogen, lipid-P, ester-P, RNA-P, DNA-P, phosphoprotein-P, inorgnnic-P. and total-P contents. Results indicated a direct relationship of bud growth with insoluble-N, ester-P and RNA-P concentrations. Decrease in phosphoprotein-P was found to be concomitant with increase in RNA-P. Various postulates have been considered in the light of the present results and those of others. A pathway of action in budrest break has been proposed which assumes that rest-breaking treatments cause liberation of DNA from a DNA-phosphoprotein-complex, which latter determines the resting slate. The freed DNA then acts as a template for RNA synthesis. This increased RNA synthesis coupled with increased ATP content (inferred from ester-P levels) induce protein synthesis (inferred from insoluble-N) and bud rest is broken.