An Evaluation of the Effects of Cytokines on Intracellular Oxidative Production in Normal Neutrophils by Flow Cytometry

To evaluate the effects of inflammatory cytokines on oxidative production in normal neutrophils, seven kinds of cytokines such as granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), granulocyte colonystimulating factor (G-CSF), interleukin-2 (IL-2), IL-6, IL-1α IL-1β, and interferon-β (IFN-β) were tested. The intracellular hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) in individual cells was determined by flow cytometry. According to the levels of intracellular H₂O₂ enhanced by cytokines, these seven cytokines were classified into three types: (1) prominently effective—GM-CSF; (2) moderately effective—G-CSF, IL-6, and IL-2; (3) weakly or ineffective—IFN-β, IL-1α, and IL-1β. Changes in cell size and cell surface structure after stimulation of those seven cytokines were simultaneously measured by flow cytometry. The most prominently effective cytokine, GM-CSF, initially caused enlargement of cell size and irregularity of the cell surface and subsequently increased H₂O₂ production by neutrophils. In contrast, the weakly or ineffective cytokines, like IL-1β, had no effects on cell size or cell surface. Our study indicates that some kinds of cytokines enhance oxidetive production and cause morphological changes in neutrophils.     

Induction of the β-form of poly(S-carboxyethyl-l-cysteine) by divalent metalchlorides

The effects of eight divalent metal ions on fully neutralized poly(S-carboxyethyl-l-cysteine) have been studied by means of circular dichroism. Four ionic species (Cd²⁺, Cu²⁺, Zn²⁺ and Ni²⁺) effectively induce the β-form, while the other four species (Co²⁺, Ba²⁺, Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺) are not effective. Specifically, Mg(ClO₄)₂ is ineffective, even at 1.86 m. The effect of Cu²⁺ ions on the polypeptide conformation is significant at pH values other than in the neural range. Comparison of the present results with previous ones from the lower side chain homologue, poly(S-carboxymethyl-l-cysteine), shows that Cd²⁺ and Zn²⁺ ions are more effetive but Co²⁺ ions are much less effective in the polypeptide studied here. Random coils of poly(S-carboxyethyl-l-cysteine) are more soluble while the β-form is less soluble compared with the respective conformations of the lower side-chain homologue.     

Delayed bedtime of nursery school children,caused by the obligatory nap,lasts during the elementary school period

Sleep and Biological Rhythms - In Japan, nursery school children go to bed about 30 min later than kindergarteners of the same age. Moreover, nursery school children also reported having several...     

Egg white hydrolysate inhibits oxidation in mayonnaise and a model system

The flavor deterioration of mayonnaise is induced by iron, which is released from egg yolk phosvitin under acidic conditions and promotes lipid oxidation. To prevent oxidative deterioration, natural components, rather than synthetic chemicals such as ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid have been required by consumers. In the present study, we evaluated the inhibitory effects of three egg white components with the same amino acid composition, namely egg white protein, hydrolysate, and the amino acid mixture, on lipid oxidation in mayonnaise and an acidic egg yolk solution as a model system. We found that the hydrolysate had the strongest inhibitory effect on lipid oxidation among the three components. The mechanism underlying the antioxidant effect was associated with Fe²⁺-chelating activity. Thus, egg white hydrolysate may have the potential as natural inhibitors of lipid oxidation in mayonnaise.     

Effect of active oxygen on cytoplasmic Ca2+ sequestration mechanism

Effects of the active oxygen on the extrusion mechanism of once-increased cytoplasmic Ca2+, which causes various physiological phenomena, were investigated using different kinds of culture cells. First we found that, in response to stimulation with vitamin K (VK), various culture cells showed a decrease in cytoplasmic Ca2+ concentration. On the presumption that this phenomenon might be related to the oxidizing action of VK, we performed the same experiments using oxidizing agents such as H2O2 or KO2. They also showed a decrease in cytoplasmic Ca2+ concentration. Furthermore, they suppressed the increase of cytoplasmic Ca2+ by vasopressin. It would be inferred from these results that the active oxygen may act upon some site of the cellular signal transduction system of cell membrane to lower the cytoplasmic Ca2+ level.     

Morphological Features of a Filamentous Phage of Vibrio cholerae O139 Bengal

A filamentous phage was isolated from carrier strain AI-1841 of Vibrio cholerae O139 Bengal and thus was termed fs phage. The phage was measured to be approximately 1 μm in length and 6 nm in width. One end of the phage was slightly tapered and had a fibrous appendage. The plaques developed on strain AI-4450 of V. cholerae O139 were small and turbid. The phage grew in strain AI-4450 and reached a size of 10⁸ to 10⁹ pfu/ml at 5 hr after infection without inducing any lysis of the host bacteria. The group of phages attached on rod-shaped materials like fimbriae of this bacteria, with their fibrous appendages at the pointed end, were often found in the phage-infected culture. The anti-fimbrial serum effectively inhibited the infection of fs phage to the host strain AI-4450. We thus concluded that the phage can be adsorbed on fimbriae with a fibrous appendage on the pointed end of the phage filament.     

Chemical Structure and Acaricidal Activity of 3-Alkylthiophenyl 4-Nitrophenyl Ethers

Many 4-nitro diphenylether derivatives with R–S (O)_x-substituents were systematically synthesized and their pesticidal activities were investigated. 3-n-Propylthiophenyl 4-nitro-phenyl ether and its sulfoxide analog exhibited remarkable acaricidal and chlorosis-inducing activities on the young leaves of plants. For all compounds with the substituent at the 4 position in the 3-n-propylthio (and -sulfinyl) phenyl group, chlorosis-inducing activity vanished and an acaricidal activity stronger than that of the parent compound appeared. Evidence that the acaricidal and chlorosis-inducing activities are greatly influenced by the size of the 4-sub-stituent and the hydrophobicity of R in the 3-R-S (O)_x-substituent is presented.     

Viscoelastic relaxations in solutions of poly(glutamic acid) and gelatin at ultrasonic frequencies

Complex shear viscosity η* = η′ – iη″ of poly (L -glutarmic acid) solution was measured by the torsional crystal method at 50 kc./sec. as a function of pH. A sharp peak was found at the midpoint of the helix-coil transition region in both η′ and η″. The relaxation time is calculated from η′ and η″ assuming a single relaxation process and the peak value at the midpoint of transition is estimated at 10^?6 sec. Such behavior agrees well with the prediction from the theory of Schwarz. The attenuation of longitudinal sound waves at,3 Me./sec. was measured as a function of pH for solutions of poly(glutamic acid), glutamic acid, and gelatin. A small attenuation peak was observed for the three solutions, the peak height being almost, the same for them. The peak is interpreted in terms of the dissociation reaction of side chains.     

Kinetic analysis of anaerobic metabolism in rats during acute cyanide poisoning

In order to investigate the changes in energy metabolism during acute anoxia, blood levels of various metabolites were analysed in cyanide-poisoned rats. After intraperitoneal injection of a sublethal dose of potassium cyanide (5 mg/kg), blood samples were obtained by cervical dislocation at intervals of 5 min until 30 min. Lacatate and lactate/pyruvate ratio (L/P) in plasma concomitantly changed with cyanide; increased rapidly at 5 min, remained fairly constant until 20 min and then began to decrease at 25 min. In contrast, the products of ATP degradation, oxypurines and inorganic phosphate (Pi), increased gradually until 25 min and then began to decrease at 30 min. Allantoin in plasma scarcely increased throughout the experiments. The results indicate that the rapid activation of anaerobic ATP formation by glycolysis was followed by the increase in ATP degradation in cyanide-poisoned rats. Thus, increase in plasma oxypurines could be regarded as an indicator for severe anoxic states in tissues with massive ATP degradation.