The influence of ovarian hormones on the rat oviductal and uterine concentration of noradrenaline and 5-hydroxytryptamine

This paper describes the effects of estradiol and progesterone on the concenirations of noradrenaline and 5-hydroxytryptamine in the Wistar rat oviduct and uterus. The levels of noradrenaline and 5-hydroxytryptamine are higher in the oviduct than in the uterus whereas p-tyrosine and tryptophan are similar in both tissues. Estradiol treatment reduced the oviductal concentration of noradrenaline but not 5-hydroxytryptamine in oviduct, while the concentrations of both noradrenaline and 5-hydroxytryptamine were reduced in uterine horn. The levels of noradrenaline in the oviduct and uterus in rats in estrus were lower than those of diestrous rats. Bilateral ovariectomy produced an increase in uterine noradrenaline and 5-hydroxytryptamine levels. These changes were reversed in the presence of ovarian hormones as indicated by experiments where unilateral ovariectomy was performed. Reserpine administration reduced noradrenaline concentration in both the oviduct and the uterus but did not change oviductal or uterine 5-hydroxytryptamine.These results indicate the existence of noradrenaline within postganglionic sympathetic nerve terminals and suggest that estrogens increase the utilization and the synthesis of noradrenaline in both the oviducts and the uterine horns. With respect to 5-hydroxytryptamine the data support the concept that it is mainly associated with mast cells.     

Identification and regulation of whole-cell chloride currents in airway epithelium

We used the whole-cell patch-clamp technique to study membrane currents in human airway epithelial cells. The conductive properties, as described by the instantaneous current-voltage relationship, rectified in the outward direction when bathed in symmetrical CsCl solutions. In the presence of Cl concentration gradients, currents reversed near ECl and were not altered significantly by cations. Agents that inhibit the apical membrane Cl conductance inhibited Cl currents. These conductive properties are similar to the conductive properties of the apical membrane Cl channel studied with the single-channel patch-clamp technique. The results suggest that the outwardly rectifying Cl channel is the predominant Cl-conductive pathway in the cell membrane. The steady-state and non-steady-state kinetics indicate that current flows through ion channels that are open at hyperpolarizing voltages and close with depolarization. These Cl currents were regulated by the cAMP-dependent protein kinase: when the catalytic subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase was included in the pipette solution, Cl channel current more than doubled. We also found that reducing extracellular osmolarity by 30% increased Cl current, suggesting that cell-swelling stimulated Cl current. Studies of transepithelial Cl transport in cell monolayers suggest that a reduction in solution osmolarity activates the apical Cl channel: reducing extracellular osmolarity stimulated a short-circuit current that was inhibited by Cl-free solution, by mucosal addition of a Cl channel antagonist, and by submucosal addition of a loop diuretic. These results suggest that apical membrane Cl channels may be regulated by cell volume and by the cAMP-dependent protein kinase.     

Two nuclear oncogenic proteins, P135gag-myb-ets and p61/63myc, cooperate to induce transformation of chicken neuroretina cells

Several studies have shown that full transformation of primary rodent fibroblasts can be achieved in vitro through the cooperation of two oncogenes (usually one nuclear and one cytoplasmic) classified on the basis of different complementation groups. We have shown previously that cooperation between v-mil (cytoplasmic, serine-threonine kinase product), and v-myc (nuclear, DNA-binding product) is required to transform 7-day-old chicken neuroretina cells, which in usual culture medium do not rapidly proliferate. v-mil induces sustained growth of chicken neuroretina cells without transformation; v-myc fails to stimulate the proliferation of chicken neuroretina cells but is required to achieve transformation of the proliferating cells. Here, we present results indicating that the P135gag-myb-ets nuclear protein of avian erythroblastosis virus E26 is able to induce proliferation but not transformation of chicken neuroretina cells. v-myc is required in addition to P135gag-myb-ets to achieve chicken neuroretina cell transformation. In contrast, we found that the P135gag-myb-ets and P100gag-mil proteins are not able to cooperate in this system.     

Duck hepatitis B virus can tolerate insertion, deletion, and partial frameshift mutation in the distal pre-S region.

In-frame and frameshift mutations were introduced into the pre-S region (1,212 base pairs) of duck hepatitis B virus. The in-frame mutants retained the inserted 12 nucleotides, while the frameshift mutants either reverted to wild type or exhibited a 10-nucleotide compensatory deletion downstream of the original mutation site. Thus, although duck hepatitis B virus has a compact and highly economical genome organization, it can replicate despite alterations of up to 9 amino acid codons in the pre-S and P open reading frames.     

Cloning of two adult hamster globin cDNAs (alpha and beta major).

A cDNA library was prepared from poly(A) mRNA extracted from adult anemic hamster spleen erythroid cells. cDNA clones containing inserts coding for adult alpha and beta major globin chains were isolated. Their identity was confirmed by (a) translation of hybrid selected mRNA and (b) nucleotide sequence analysis of the inserts and comparison to the adult globin cDNAs of mouse, rabbit and human. Availability of sequences for embryonic (Li et al. (1992) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 1130, 218-220) and adult globin cDNAs (this report) will aid in investigations of the molecular mechanisms involved in the globin ontogeny of hamsters.     

黑龙江桔梗科叶表皮研究

本文对分布在黑龙江省的桔梗料(Campanulaceae)植物叶表皮进行了光学显微镜和扫描电镜方面的观察。发现桔梗科植物的气孔复合体是不规则型的;毛状体是单细胞的,其表面的角质纹饰因类群而异;表皮角质纹饰可用于某些种间的鉴别。     

Ⅱ型限制性核酸内切酶NcrⅠ的研究

 在肉色诺卡氏菌C-212株Nocardia carnea C-212中筛选到一种Ⅱ型限制性核酸内切酶NcrⅠ,经与BglⅡ的λDNA降解物的酶谱比较,以及酶识别特异性和切割位点的检测,证明了NcrⅠ是已知的限制酶BglⅡ的同切限制酶,而且其切割位点也与BglⅡ相同,其为:     

Adherence Patterns and DNA Probe Types of Escherichia coli Isolated from Diarrheal Patients in China

One hundred and seventy-two strains of Escherichia coli isolated from diarrheal patients in Beijing, P. R. China, were analyzed for plasmid DNA profile, HEp-2 cell adherence ability and reactivity to 10 previously described DNA probes. They had not been recognized as pathogenic E. coli in China. Of the 110 strains tested, 76 (69%) contained one or multiple large plasmids. Of the 71 strains with the large plasmids 64 could adhere to HEp-2 cells. Of the 172 strains, 102 (59.3%) were hybridized with at least one of the 10 probes. Of those, seven strains hybridized with enteroaggregative E. coli (EAggEC) probe. Their serotypes were O128 (two strains), O6 (one strain), and O111 (one strain). Three strains were untypable. Six and three strains were hybridized with enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) attaching and effacing genes (eae) or EPEC adherence factor (EAF) probe, respectively. Two non-O157: H7 strains hybridized with enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) probe. Seventy-two strains (41.9%) hybridized with shiga-like toxin 2 or 1 (SLT2 or SLT1) probes. Among the SLT1 or SLT2 probe-positive strains, 54 hybridized with invasive (INV) plasmid probe developed for identification of enteroinvasive E. coli (EIEC) and Shigella species. The INV and SLT probe-positive strains might represent a new variety of verotoxin-producing E. coli (VTEC).