In vitro anti-HIV activity of phosphorothioate alpha-anomeric oligodeoxynucleotides

Oligonucleotide analogs consisting exclusively of alpha-anomeric deoxynucleoside units bridged with phosphorothioate linkages have been synthesized and tested in vitro as antiviral agents against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in human T cells. Two 28-mers, an homopolymer alpha-S-dC28 and an oligomer alpha-S-anti-rev complementary to the initiation site of the regulatory viral gene rev exhibited antiviral activities comparable to those reported for the corresponding beta-anomeric phosphorothioate analogs. In contrast, a nuclease-resistant homopolymer, alpha-dC28 was inactive. Their preliminary results would indicate that the origin of oligonucleotide phosphorothioate anti-HIV activity is not exclusively correlated with their higher nuclease resistance.     

Kinetics of phenylalanine absorption by the rat intestine in vivo after distal resection

The kinetics of L-phenylalanine absorption across rat small intestine in sham and 50% distal resected animals, in vivo, have been studied by perfusing jejunal loops and monitoring the disappearance of the substrate from the perfusate. After 5 months postresection the total phenylalanine absorption was increased. The relationship between total absorption of substrate and its concentration in the bulk phase shows a non-saturable component and a saturable one that can be inhibited by methionine, both in control and remnant jejunum. The slope of the line that represents the non-saturable component is greater in remnant jejunum, indicating that the apparent mass-transfer coefficient, K'D, was increased by distal resection. The kinetic analysis of the saturable component shows that Jmax was unaltered and the apparent semisaturation constant, K'M, was slightly decreased by distal small intestine resection. Correction of the kinetic constant for the unstirred water layer effects shows that the differences between 'real' KD values of the two experimental groups increase whereas 'real' KM values do not change significantly. This indicates that the observed increase in total intestinal absorption in resected animals appears to result from an increase in the intestinal passive permeability.     

Decomposition of three halophytes in different habitats of an eastern scheldt salt marsh

Summary A 20.5-month study was undertaken to determine detrital processing of the halophytesSpartina anglica, Elytrigia pungens, andHalimione portulacoides in three different habitats of an estuarine salt marsh in the South-West Netherlands. Decomposition was measured using litter-bags of three different mesh sizes to partition the effects of different faunal groups on decomposition. From April 1980 through October 1981 litter-bags were sampled regulary from a creek, the upper marsh, and from a plant-debris belt on the higher marsh. Dry weights and nutritive values were measured and animals were counted. Mainly rates of loss are reported here. Zonal differences were significant. At first, decomposition in the creek was most rapid. After two months the processes in the creek slowed down because of the trapping of silt by the bags, which probably simulated the natural course of the decomposition process in the water. Decomposition on the marsh followed the most regular pattern, while in the plant-debris belt the pattern was very irregular. Population dynamics of microfaunal organisms supported these findings. In the plant-debris belts loss rates seem to be higher than on the marsh, because of the influence of detritivorous macrofaunal organisms. The loss rates of the three plant species differed significantly.Halimione decomposed fastest, especially in the beginning, and in the plant-debris habitat. On the upper marsh and in the plant-debris belt the loss rates ofSpartina seem to be a little higher than those ofElytrigia.Communication No. 233, Delta Institute for Hydrobiological Research, Yerseke, The Netherlands.     

Binding of [3H]estradiol- and [3H]H1285-receptor complexes to rabbit uterine chromatin

In the present study we investigated the binding characteristics of estrogen and antiestrogen-receptor complexes to rabbit uterine chromatin. Activated or nonactivated estrogen receptors were partially purified by DEAE-cellulose chromatography using low (1 mM) or high (10 mM) concentrations of sodium molybdate. Activated [³H]estradiol-receptor complexes showed enhanced binding to chromatin acceptor sites unmasked by 1 M, 4 M and 6 M guanidine hydrochloride. We also examined the chromatin-binding characteristics of the estrogen receptors when bound by the high-affinity triphenylethylene antiestrogen, H1285. The acceptor site activity for the [³H]H1285-receptor complexes was markedly decreased at sites unmasked by 4 M and 6 M guanidine hydrochloride. Further, the nonactivated receptor complexes showed very low binding to deproteinized chromatin. The estrogen-receptor chromatin-acceptor sites were tissue specific and saturable. These chromatin acceptor sites differ in their affinity and capacity (number of binding sites per cell) for the estrogen- and antiestrogen-receptor complexes. Thus, we suggest that the differences in the physiological and physicochemical properties of estrogens and antiestrogens may be related to their differential interaction with uterine chromatin subfractions.     

Can People Guess What Happened to Others from Their Reactions?

Are we able to infer what happened to a person from a brief sample of his/her behaviour? It has been proposed that mentalising skills can be used to retrodict as well as predict behaviour, that is, to determine what mental states of a target have already occurred. The current study aimed to develop a paradigm to explore these processes, which takes into account the intricacies of real-life situations in which reasoning about mental states, as embodied in behaviour, may be utilised. A novel task was devised which involved observing subtle and naturalistic reactions of others in order to determine the event that had previously taken place. Thirty-five participants viewed videos of real individuals reacting to the researcher behaving in one of four possible ways, and were asked to judge which of the four ‘scenarios’ they thought the individual was responding to. Their eye movements were recorded to establish the visual strategies used. Participants were able to deduce successfully from a small sample of behaviour which scenario had previously occurred. Surprisingly, looking at the eye region was associated with poorer identification of the scenarios, and eye movement strategy varied depending on the event experienced by the person in the video. This suggests people flexibly deploy their attention using a retrodictive mindreading process to infer events.     

Existence of Sites for Anions and Divalent Cations in the Solubilized γ-Aminobutyric Acid/Benzodiazepine Receptor Complex

This study evaluated the ability of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), baclofen, monovalent anions, divalent cations, and various combinations thereof to protect solubilized benzodiazepine (BZ) receptors of types 1 and 2, when contained together on the complex, against heat inactivation. Neither anions, cations, nor GABA alone provided significant protection of solubilized BZ receptors against heat, but inclusion of monovalent anions or divalent cations together with 500 microM GABA did afford protection. Monovalent anions combined with GABA (500 microM) provided 50% to full protection. Divalent cations, such as CaCl2 (2.5 mM) or MgCl2 (2.5 mM) in the presence of GABA (500 microM) yielded 45% and 24% protection, respectively. Other divalent cations tested (Zn2+, Hg2+, Co2+, and Ni2+) were poor protectors, even when combined with GABA. Monovalent anions (200 mM NaCl) and divalent cations (5 mM CaCl2) when tested together provided no protection. Similarly, baclofen (the GABA-B agonist) provided no protection, either alone or together with anions or divalent cations. These results indicate that the independent but interacting recognition sites of GABA, BZ, anions, and divalent cations, previously detected in the membrane-bound state, are retained in the solubilized state.     

Cimetidine-resistant Zollinger-Ellison syndrome: successful management with ranitidine.

In a patient with the Zollinger-Ellison syndrome who had undergone vagotomy, pyloroplasty and, later, gastrojejunostomy, epigastric pain and stomal ulceration recurred despite the use of high doses (2700 mg/d) of cimetidine. Ranitidine, a new histamine H2-receptor antagonist, reversed all symptoms and healed the stomal ulcer without side effects, thus obviating the need for further surgery. Ranitidine may prove to be the drug of choice in the medical management of patients with the Zollinger-Ellison syndrome.     

Mechanism of endotoxin-induced reduction in the number of beta-adrenergic receptors in dog livers: role of phospholipase A

The role of phospholipase A on the endotoxin-induced reduction in the number of beta-adrenergic receptors in dog liver plasma membranes was investigated. The results show that digestion of control liver plasma membranes with exogenous phospholipase A2 (0.2 unit/200 micrograms protein) decreased the specific binding of (-)-[3H]dihydroalprenolol by 37.3% (P less than 0.01) and reduced the number of receptor sites by 31.7% (P less than 0.05). These decreases in the specific binding and the number of beta-adrenergic receptors were completely reversible by the addition of phosphatidylcholine (0.2 mM). Endotoxin administration (2 hr postendotoxin) decreased the specific binding by 36% (P less than 0.05) and reduced the number of beta-adrenergic receptors by 33% (P less than 0.05), and these decreases were completely reversible by the addition of 0.2 mM phosphatidylcholine. Digestion of control liver membranes with exogenous phospholipase A2 decreased phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine levels by 50.6 and 51.2%, respectively, but increased lysophosphatidylcholine and lysophosphatidylethanolamine levels by 12- and 8.4-fold, respectively. Endotoxin administration decreased phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine contents by 21.4 and 23.8%, respectively, but increased lysophosphatidylcholine and lysophosphatidylethanolamine contents by 2.1- and 1.4-fold, respectively. In addition, endotoxin administration increased endogenous phospholipase A activity by 73.5%. Based on these results, it is suggested that the decreases in the specific binding and the number of beta-adrenergic receptors in dog livers during endotoxic shock are a result of phospholipase A activation.