Relative salt tolerance of Egyptian cotton varieties during germination and early seedlings development

Summary The tested varieties can be divided into three groups; salt sensitive, moderate salt tolerant and salt tolerant. The most salt-tolerant varieties were Bahtim 110, Menoufy, Ashmouny and Bahtim 108. The moderate salt-tolerant varieties were Giza: 67, 68, 72, 69, 66, Dandara and Bahtim 185. The most salt-sensitive varieties were Giza: 45 and 59. The growth of all tested varieties was affected due to salinity treatment except Menoufy variety which seemed not to be affected.     

Metabolic end-products in parasitic helminths and their intermediate hosts.

Oxidoreductases which control the metabolic end-products in helminth parasites and their intermediate hosts were reviewed, in a trial to elucidate the respiratory metabolism during host-parasite associations. Special attention was given to Schistosoma parasites and their molluscan hosts.     

Measurement of some selected enzymatic activities in infected Biomphalaria alexandrina snails

The activities of aspartate (AST) and alanine (ALT) aminotransferases and that of lactate dehydrogenase (LD) were measured in the homogenate of infected Biomphalaria alexandrina snails, the specific intermediate hosts for the parasite Schistosoma mansoni which is the cause of the disease schistosomiasis. The isoenzymatic pattern of LD was also studied in the infected snails tissue.     

Studies on the nucleic acid of human bladder carcinoma

DNA was isolated from different histopathologic types and grades of human bladder carcinoma. The isolated DNA was submitted to quantitative determination and base composition analysis. A pilot study was done on the effect of gamma irradiation as a physical mutagen on characteristics of DNA in the examined tissues. Identity in the genetic components in the urinary bilharziasis snails and the human bladder cancer was observed. The same was observed in both intestinal bilharziasis snails and the cancerous intestinal tissues.     

Succinate-DCPIP and NADH-fumarate oxidoreductases in fresh water snails susceptible and non susceptible to schistosoma infection.

The activities of succinate-DCPIP oxidoreductase (SO) and NADH-fumarate oxidoreductase (FR) were determined in tissue homogenate of Biomphalaria alexandrina and Bulinus truncatus, the snail vectors of Schistosomiasia. A parallel study was done on Lymnea truncatula snails which are not susceptible to Schistosoma infection. The Michaelis constant (Km) and maximum velocities (Vmax) for fumarate reduction and succinate oxidation by the tissue homogenates from the three species were determined. The results obtained showed that both susceptible species are aerobic and lactate is the sole end product of anaerobic glycolysis. Lymnea truncatula snails are facultative anaerobic producing succinate as a major end product in the glycolytic pathway.     

Kinetic properties of two transaminases and lactate dehydrogenase of Biomphalaria alexandrina snails, intermediate hosts of Schistosoma mansoni

Aspartate (AST) and alanine (ALT) aminotransferase together with lactate dehydrogenase (LD) from the tissue homogenate of the Biomphalaria alexandrina snails, were partially characterized by measuring the Michaelis constant (km) and the maximum velocity (Vmax). The isoenzymatic pattern of lactate dehydrogenase was investigated through polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.     

Synthesis and biological evaluation of histamine Schiff bases as carbonic anhydrase I,II, IV,VII, and IX activators

A series of 20 histamine Schiff base was synthesised by reaction of histamine, a well known carbonic anhydrase (CA, E.C 4.2.2.1.) activator pharmacophore, with substituted aldehydes. The obtained histamine Schiff bases were assayed as activators of five selected human (h) CA isozymes, the cytosolic hCA I, hCA II, and hCA VII, the membrane-anchored hCA IV and transmembrane hCA IX. Some of these compounds showed efficient activity (in the nanomolar range) against the cytosolic isoform hCA VII, which is a key CA enzyme involved in brain metabolism. Moderate activity was observed against hCA I and hCA IV (in the nanomolar to low micromolar range). The structure–activity relationship for activation of these isoforms with the new histamine Schiff bases is discussed in detail based on the nature of the aliphatic, aromatic, or heterocyclic moiety present in the aldehyde fragment of the molecule, which may participate in diverse interactions with amino acid residues at the entrance of the active site, where activators bind, and which is the most variable part among the different CA isoforms.