Aspirin and acetaminophen use by pregnant women and subsequent child IQ and attention decrements

In a longitudinal prospective study of 1,529 women pregnant in 1974-1975, aspirin and acetaminophen were the two medications most frequently taken during the first half of pregnancy (46 and 41%, respectively). In a selected cohort of 421 offspring of these women, examined at 4 years of age, maternal aspirin use during the first half of pregnancy was significantly related to IQ and attention decrements in the exposed children. Multiple regression analyses were used to statistically adjust for a variety of potentially confounding factors including demographic characteristics, child characteristics, other exposures, and lifestyle/environmental variables. Continuous dose-response and step-function parameterizations of aspirin exposure were both statistically significant and not clearly distinguishable from each other. The estimated aspirin effect is significantly greater for girls than boys. Aspirin effects on offspring function were found in the absence of effects on physical size both at birth and at 4 years. Maternal acetaminophen use was not significantly related to child IQ or attention. As this exploratory research originated from observations of a data set gathered for other purposes, it would be desirable to have these findings replicated in other studies. Further follow-up of the children at a later age is planned.     

A rapid assay for measuring the activity and the Mg2+ and Ca2+ requirements of phosphatidate phosphohydrolase in cytosolic and microsomal fractions of rat liver.

1. A rapid extraction and purification scheme was designed for the recovery of [3H]diacylglycerol formed during the assay of phosphatidate phosphohydrolase. 2. The importance of removing polyvalent cations, particularly Ca2+, from the phosphatidate and other reagents used in the assay of the phosphohydrolase activity was demonstrated. This was achieved mainly by treating the phosphatidate with a chelating resin and by adding 1 mM-EGTA and 1 mM-EDTA to the assays. 3. The activity of the phosphohydrolase in dialysed samples of the soluble and microsomal fractions of rat liver was very low. 4. Addition of optimum concentrations of MgCl2 resulted in a 110-167-fold stimulation in activity. 5. CaCl2 was also able to stimulate phosphohydrolase activity, but to a much smaller extent than MgCl2. 6. Chlorpromazine, an amphiphilic cation, inhibited the reaction when it was measured in these experiments by using a mixed emulsion of phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidate at pH 7.4. 7. Microsomal fractions that were preincubated with albumin contained very low activities of the Mg2+-dependent phosphohydrolase. When these were then incubated with the soluble fraction in the presence of oleate, the soluble phosphohydrolase attached to the microsomal membranes, and it retained its high dependency on Mg2+.     

Participation of the lone tryptophan residue of rat alpha-foetoprotein in its drug-binding sites. Comparison with rat serum albumin.

The participation in drug binding of the lone tryptophan residue of rat alpha-foetoprotein (alpha-FP) and serum albumin, the two main transport proteins of foetal serum, has been studied by two different techniques. Firstly, the effect on phenylbutazone and warfarin binding of the chemical derivatization of the lone tryptophan residue of both proteins by 2-nitrophenylsulphonyl chloride (NPS) was studied. Secondly, the effect of phenylbutazone binding on the intrinsic fluorescence of the tryptophan residue of rat alpha-FP and albumin was investigated. The specific modification of the proteins by NPS did not affect the binding of warfarin by rat alpha-FP and albumin, but greatly decreased the affinity of the high-affinity sites of rat alpha-FP for phenylbutazone, though the numbers of these sites were not significantly changed. However, for albumin a similar decrease in the affinity constant appeared to be due to the reaction conditions. The spectrofluorimetric studies showed that the lone tryptophan residue of alpha-FP and albumin was quenched by phenylbutazone binding, and the quenching paralleled the fractional saturation of the high-affinity site only in the case of albumin. The effect of phenylbutazone binding on the intrinsic fluorescence of rat alpha-FP indicated that the lone tryptophan residue of this foetal protein is not in the same molecular environment as that of albumin, not participating directly in the high-affinity site for phenylbutazone, and the effect may be via some induced conformational change in rat alpha-FP. These results also confirm our previous suggestion that the high-affinity sites for phenylbutazone and warfarin are different on the rat alpha-FP molecule. The results seem to indicate that this is also the case for albumin, but confirmation is necessary.     

Calcitonin receptors of human osteoclastoma

Osteoclast-rich cultures were prepared by disaggregation of osteoclastomas (giant cell tumour of bone) and settlement onto glass or plastic surfaces. Autoradiography using [125I]-salmon calcitonin ([125I]-sCT) revealed specific binding only to multinucleate giant cells (osteoclasts) and a minor population of mononuclear cells. [125I]-sCT competitive binding studies indicated a Kd of 5 x 10(-10) M and receptor number of approximately 1 million sites/osteoclast. sCT treatment resulted in a dose-dependent rise in cAMP (EC50 10(-10) M). Homogenates of an osteoclastoma also demonstrated specific binding of [125I]-sCT. Chemical cross-linking of a labelled synthetic sCT derivative. [125I]-[Arg11,18,Lys14]-sCT, using disuccinimidyl suberate, resulted in labelling of a receptor component of approximate Mr 85-90,000. The multinucleate giant cells (osteoclasts) of human osteoclastomas possess large number of CT receptors which exhibit the same binding kinetics and apparent Mr as those of other CT target cells.     

Determination of steady state and nonsteady-state glycerol kinetics in humans using deuterium-labeled tracer

Using deuterium-labeled glycerol as tracer and gas-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry techniques for the determination of isotopic enrichment, we have developed a simple and ethically acceptable method of determining glycerol appearance rate in humans under steady-state and nonsteady-state conditions. In normal subjects, the appearance rate of glycerol in the post-absorptive state was 2.22 +/- 0.20 mumol X kg-1 X min-1, a value in agreement with those reported in studies with radioactively labeled tracers. The ratio nonesterified fatty acid (NEFA) appearance rate/glycerol appearance rate ranged from 1.95 to 3.40. In insulin-dependent diabetic patients with a mild degree of metabolic control, the appearance rate of glycerol was 2.48 +/- 0.29 mumol X kg-1 X min-1. The volume of distribution of glycerol, determined by the bolus injection technique, was (mean) 0.306 l X kg-1 in normal subjects and 0.308 l X kg-1 in insulin-independent diabetic patients. To evaluate the usefulness of the method for determination of glycerol kinetics in nonsteady-state conditions, we infused six normal subjects with natural glycerol and calculated the isotopically determined glycerol appearance rate using a single compartment model (volume of distribution 0.31 l X kg-1). During these tests, the expected glycerol appearance rates were successively 5.03 +/- 0.33, 7.48 +/- 0.39, 9.94 +/- 0.34, 7.48 +/- 0.39, and 5.03 +/- 0.33 mumol +/- kg-1 X min-1, whereas the corresponding isotopically determined appearance rates were 4.62 +/- 0.45, 6.95 +/- 0.56, 10.85 +/- 0.51, 7.35 +/- 0.34, and 5.28 +/- 0.12 mumol X kg-1 X min-1.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Endosymbiotic origin and codon bias of the nuclear gene for chloroplast glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase from maize

Summary The nuclei of plant cells harbor genes for two types of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenases (GAPDH) displaying a sequence divergence corresponding to the prokaryote/eukaryote separation. This strongly supports the endosymbiotic theory of chloroplast evolution and in particular the gene transfer hypothesis suggesting that the gene for the chloroplast enzyme, initially located in the genome of the endosymbiotic chloroplast progenitor, was transferred during the course of evolution into the nuclear genome of the endosymbiotic host. Codon usage in the gene for chloroplast GAPDH of maize is radically different from that employed by present-day chloroplasts and from that of the cytosolic (glycolytic) enzyme from the same cell. This reveals the presence of subcellular selective pressures which appear to be involved in the optimization of gene expression in the economically important graminaceous monocots.     

A systematic study of the amino acid compositions and D/L ratios in fossil bones from two french neanderthalian sites

The reaction of racemization in which the L amino acids are reversibly converted into the corresponding D amino acids, proceeds in geological environment at such a slow rate that it may be used as a geochronometer. However, in fossils several parameters may affect the rate of racemization, i.e. moisture, surface, pH buffer and metal cations. This work consists of a systematic study of total amino acid content in fossil bones from two neanderthalian sites. The amino acid distributions of all specimens were determined and compared to that of fresh bone. The D/L amino acid were quantified and expressed in terms of age as a function of the temperature. The results led us to consider the «La Roquette» site older than «Les Canalettes» site.     

Ultrastructure and Development of Sclerotia of Botrytis cinerea Pers. in vitro

The development of sclerotia of Botrytis cinerea was examined at four stages during their maturation. The surface structure developed a network of profusely branched hyphae through their coalescence to a compact sclerotial body which was maturated by the deposition of melanin pigment. A characteristic feature of the hyphal cells of B. cinerea during the later stages of development was the presence of paramural bodies (plasmalemmasomes and lomasomes). Electrondense bodies with a limiting double-membrane congregated against the transverse septa of hyphal cells as sclerotia matured and may migrate from cell to cell through septal pores. We suggest that these and the lipid bodies found in hyphal cells may have a storage function in the resting sclerotia.     

The cell biology of Drosophila wing metamorphosis in vitro

Summary We have examined the metamorphosis of the wing imaginal disc of Drosophila during culture in vitro in the continuous presence of 20-hydroxy ecdysone (0.1 g/ ml). We find that the sequence of cellular changes in the wing blade during culture closely match those occurring in situ, involving two periods at which the dorsal and ventral surfaces are joined only by cell processes containing trans-alar microtubule arrays. Good pupal and imaginal cuticle secretion is found in this system.