Co-existence of renin-like immunoreactivity in the rat maternal and fetal neocortex

Renin-like immunoreactive material was examined in maternal and fetal brain. A continuous layer of renin was localized in neocortex which begins in the fetal brain during gestation and continues throughout the animal's normal life.     

Is the ‘rejection reaction’ inducing ability in sporophytic self-incompatible systems restricted only to pollen and tapetum?

Summary The present investigation describes the stigmatic rejection response, induced by anther or pollen at developmental stages ranging from anther primordia to mature pollen, as well as in other floral and vegetative tissues. This has been studied in a sporophytic self-incompatible system, Brassica campestris (Brassicaceae). The implications of these observations have been discussed.     

Effects of pyrimidine-2-thiol on the ovarian histology of Epilachna vigintioctopunctata (Fabr.) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae)

The telotrophic ovary of Epilachna vigintioctopunctata is composed of 32-40 ovarioles, each with an apical germarium and a basal vitellarium. The germarium encloses mononucleate and binucleate trophocytes, prefollicular tissue and oogonia, while the vitellarium contains 2-5 oocytes arranged in order of maturity. Definite nutritive cords are absent. When females are exposed to 75 mg 4,4,6-trimethyl-1h, 4H-pyrimidine-2-thiol by contact, the trophocytes and the follicular epithelial cells disintegrate to form dark-staining clumps and thus fail to supply nourishment to the developing oocytes, which consequently remain yolk-less and are ultimately reduced to shrunken masses.     

Synthesis and application of β-carbolines as novel multi-functional anti-Alzheimer’s disease agents

The design, synthesis and assessment of β-carboline core-based compounds as potential multifunctional agents against several processes that are believed to play a significant role in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathology, are described. The activity of the compounds was determined in Aβ self-assembly (fibril and oligomer formation) and cholinesterase (AChE, BuChE) activity inhibition, and their antioxidant properties were also assessed. To obtain insight into the mode of action of the compounds, HR-MS studies were carried out on the inhibitor-Aβ complex formation and molecular docking was performed on inhibitor-BuChE interactions. While several compounds exhibited strong activities in individual assays, compound 14 emerged as a promising multi-target lead for the further structure-activity relationship studies.     

Prevalence and pathology of Hepatojarakus bandicoti Sood et Parshad, 1973 (Trichostrongylidae:Nematoda) in natural infections of rodents.

The prevalence and pathological changes in the liver and biliary system of field rodents due to Hepatojarakus bandicoti Sood et Parshad, 1973 have been worked out. Higher infection rates occurred in Tatera indica and Bandicota bengalensis than in other field rats and mice. In heavy infections, the liver became grossly enlarged, hard and pale, and showed the presence of white scars on its surface and in the parenchyma. White nodules are commonly seen on the bile ducts due to heavy infections. Histologically the liver showed a changed lobular structure, cellular infiltrations, pycnotic nuclei of the hepatic cells with deposition of haemosidirin granules. Hypermorphosis of the biliary epithelium with its denudation, resulting from the creeping action of the worm seemed to be a common tissue response.     

Organization of regions with amphiphilic alpha-helical potential within the three-dimensional structure of beta-sheet proteins.

The observation that strong amphiphilic alpha-helical potential exists in all proteins, including beta-sheet proteins, has given rise to the idea that alpha-helical intermediates may be critical to the folding paths of all proteins. Here we report that regions with amphiphilic alpha-helical potential in beta-sheet proteins are regularly spaced within the native structure of the proteins at an average interval of about 13 A. This regular spacing did not occur when the location of amphiphilic regions was randomly assigned (p = 0.0056), suggesting some degree of organization with respect to the native fold. However, in the native structure of various non-homologous proteins that contain the same fold, the location of the regions with amphiphilic alpha-helical potential was not conserved. Further, there was no apparent association of amphiphilic alpha-helical potential with any particular type of secondary structure, confirming that this potential is not involved in maintenance of native structure and suggesting that it may be associated with a highly adaptable process.